I"v (a 



RUSSELL 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING 



DIFFERENT DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



BY 

WILLIAM RUSSELL, 

Practical Horseshoer. 



W\ 






CINCINNATI: 

EOBEET CLARKE & CO. 

1879. 



COPYRIGHTED BY 

WILLIAM EUSSELL, 
1878. 










INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, 
PHILADELPHIA, 1876. 

ommed-dton AaA eccamenea /Ac 



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an cnvaia in ccnwimi'/v //ie4e-wt//i . 



Philadelphia, December lith, 1876. 
REPORT ON AWARDS. 
Product: HORSESHOES (Hand and Machine Made); also, HORSESHOE IRON. 
Name and Address of Exhibitor: WILLIAM RUSSELL, CINCINNATI, OHIO. 

The undersigned, having examined the product herein described, respect/idly 
recommends the same to the United States Centennial Commission, for Award, for 
the following reasons, viz., 

A variety of shoes remedying defects in hoofs; also, patented rolled iron, for 

hand shoe making. All highly meritorious. 

J. D. IMBODEN, 

[Signature of the Judge]. 

Approval of Group Judges. 

DANIEL STEIJVMETZ, CHAS. STAPLES, JULIUS DIEFEKBACH, 
G. L. REED, ■ DAV. McHARDY, J. BALX, 

A true copy of the record. 

FRANCIS A. WALKER, Chief of the Bureau of Awards. 

Tteven vu ate/Aoi//^ c/ /Ae own//e<z <j/a/e£ {Gen/enniaiToommodicn, 
A. T. GOSHORN, 

Direc tor-General. 

J. L. CAMPBELL, J. R. HAWLEY, 

Secretary. President. 




(Kimntrali |jnitu$lrtal (Brpsilimu 



THE FIRST PREMIUM 



AWARDED 



WILLIAM RUSSELL & SONS, 

FOR 

For remedying defects in horses 1 feet, and for improvement 
in Horse Shoe Iron. 



Cincinnati, Oct. 22, 1870. 



CIIAS. F. W1LSTA CH, President. 
ABNER L. FRAZER, Secret art/. 



The Medals and Certificates of the Cincinnati Expositions have 

been awarded as above for the successive years of 

1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1875. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

PREFACE ix 

INTRODUCTION xiii 

CHAPTER I— Anatomy 17 

CHAPTER II— The Practice of Shoeing 33 

CHAPTER III— Shoeing of Different Kinds of Horses 45 

CHAPTER IV— Diseases of the Foot 5-i 

CHAPTER V— Forging, Speedy Cutting, etc 97 

CHAPTER VI— Gaiting and Balancing the Action of Horses. 107 

CHAPTER VII— The Mule 115 

CHAPTER VIII— Shoes used for Specific Purposes 117 



APPENDIX — Observations on the Training and Responsi- 
bilities of Farriers 131 

(v) 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE. 



Fig. 1. View of perfect hoof. 19 

" 2. The bones of the fore foot 22 

" 3. Section of the foot and pasterns 25 

" 4. View of foot, showing the arteries and veins 29 

" 5. Front view of the foot, showing the sensitive laminae. 31 
" 6. Hoof with scale for reckoning its proper degree of ob- 
liquity 33 

" 7. A perfect hoof properly prepared for the shoe 35 

" 8. Compasses for measuring the foot 38 

" 9. The back or sole bearing surface of a shoe 40 

" 10. Patterns and sizes of nails 44 

" 11. English seated shoe 50 

" 12. Eacing plate 53 

11 13. Section of foot with drop sole 57 

" 14. Shoe for drop sole or flat feet 58 

" 15. Foot bone showing the effects of laminitis 60 

" 16. Seedy toe 61 

" 17. Effects of distortion 63 

" 18. Back view of the foot and leg bones 64 

" 19. Ossified cartilage 66 

" 20. The sole of a hoof badly contracted 67 

" 21. Hoof showing the effects of burning and clipping 68 

" 22. Hoof contracted in an extreme degree 70 

" 23. Spring heel shoe for contraction 71 

" 24. Hoof properly dressed for split toe 77 

" 25. Hoof properly shod for quarter crack 80 

(vii) 



Vlll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

Fig. 26. A side view of hoof dressed and <shod for quarter 

crack , 80 

" 27. A hoof showing the appearance of navicular disease. 85 

" 28. Shoe for navicular disease 86 

" 29. The state of a hoof in raised coronet 87 

" 30. Shoe for knuckling. 90 

" 31. Four calkin front foot shoe 96 

" 32. Hind foot shoe for forging 98 

" 33. Shoe and pad for arm cutting 104 

" 34. Front foot shoe for extreme cases of ankle, shin and 

knee cutting 105 

" 35. Hind foot shoe for ankle hitting. 106 

" 36. Side weight shoe for widening the action behind 112 

" 37. Mule shoe 115 

" 38. Hind foot shoe to balance and slow the action of the 

trotting horse 117 

" 39. Hind foot shoe for track and road horses 118 

" 40. Scoop-toe rolling-motion shoe properly adjusted 119 

" 41. Improved centennial shoe ,... 120 

" 42. Modified form of centennial shoe 121 

" 43. Shoe for draught horse 122 

" 44. Hind foot shoe to prevent bruising or calking the 

coronet 123 

" 45. Hind foot shoe for curb and spavin 124 

" 46. Front or ground wearing surface of the scoop-toe 

rolling-motion shoe 125 

" 47. Front foot shoe for balancing and squaring the action 

of horses 126 

" 48. The Goldsmith Maid bar shoe 127 

" 49. Hind foot shoe with toe and heel calkins 128 

" 50. Front foot shoe, to prevent paddling 129 



PREFACE. 



The present work is the result of very extensive and 
careful observations, as well as of a practical working 
experience, extending over a period of more than forty 
years. 

The aim of the work is one and simple. It is to pre- 
sent in the shortest possible space, and in the plainest 
possible manner, what every man should know of the 
Practice and Art of Horseshoeing. 

The experience and success of the author as a prac- 
ticing farrier, his knowledge of the errors existing in 
the common mode of shoeing, and the evils which re- 
sult from them — his careful and earnest investigation of 
this subject, together with the large series of anatomical 
parts of the horse's foot which he has amassed in the 
preparation of this book — have rendered him peculiarly 
suited to the task he has undertaken, and it is believed 
that he has produced a compendium of the highest prac- 
tical value to all who look into it, prompt to avail them- 
selves of the plans herein laid down. 

There is the want of a more diffused knowledge on 
this subject, and it is becoming more and more a neces- 
sity of the time that the man " who arrogates to him- 
self the title of farrier" be qualified to practice that 

which he engages to perform. 

(ix) 



X PREFACE. 

" It can not require much penetration to discover that 
some study in the nature of anatomy and patholog} 7 must 
he absolutely requisite to constitute a good farrier ; but, 
if conclusions were to be drawn from the basis on which 
the veterinary system has hitherto rested, it would seem 
that the science of farriery has been considered a natural 
gift, and not in the least dependent on the tedious pro- 
cess of medical inquiry and investigation ; for every 
blacksmith, groom and stable-boy, not only conceives 
himself to be, but is likewise regarded by his employer 
to be, fully competent to the important task of curing 
diseases of the nature of which he is totally ignorant," 
says the ingenious Richard Lawrence. 

This book aims to facilitate the understanding of the 
structure and functions of the horse's foot in all its 
parts, explains the proper management of it, and points 
out the sort of shoes which the author's own experience 
has found to be the best for any given purpose. 

One reason why the scientific investigation of these 
points appears so obscured and bewildered is, because 
authors have treated the subject in an abstract, technical 
manner, while very few have been found to agree in the 
details for carrying into effect a general system. 

In this work everything that would tend to confuse 
the subject has been avoided, the author insisting upon 
the preservation of his familiar methods of expression. 

Those who have a fondness for the abstruse, and who 
would penetrate to the core and go through all the 
mathematical intricacies of those who have brought such 



PREFACE. XI 

parts of the subject to a high state of perfection, have 
abuudant opportunities of doing it in the many elabo- 
rate works which, on alleged rational and scientific 
principles, have from time to time been pressed forward 
under the notice of the trade and the public. 

All that is claimed for this work is a simple touching 
up of the facts in the case in a plain, straightforward 
way ; and in this respect the volume now offered to the 
public occupies a place by itself. 

It is proper to add that the author is indebted to Mr. 
H. A. Carr for his assistance in its preparation, as also 
for the excellent illustrations which he has contributed to 
it. The description of the anatomical parts of the work 
has been carefully corrected by Dr. G. W. Bowler, 
the distinguished veterinary surgeon, of Cincinnati, and 
whose labors may justly be considered to have increased 
their value. 

Some observations have been added as an Appendix 
which may prove of service in this connection. For the 
statements of law and the notes it contains, I am in- 
debted to the courtesy of Florien Giauque, Esq., of the 
Cincinnati bar. 

The selection of specimens of feet, etc., which, for a 
long period, have been gathered in contemplation of 
these illustrations, has been made available to the au- 
thor through the kindness of Mr. E. A. Thompson, of 
the Cincinnati Fertilizing Company. They have been 
of much service in the preparation of this book. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Having carefully perused the manuscript of the work 
entitled Russell on Scientific Horseshoeing, for the 
different diseases of the feet, I can not refrain from con- 
gratulating the author on his success in producing so de- 
serving a work and which must eventually bring satis- 
factory results. It is a work which shows that " theory 
without practice is comparatively useless." 

The author has been steadily engaged in the manufac- 
ture of horseshoes for upward of forty years, in which 
field his opportunities for investigation and improvement 
in this useful art, have been unlimited, and he has not 
failed to take advantage of his extensive experience by 
showing to the world that of all the diseases to which 
horses are liable, there are none more difficult of cure or 
of such frequent occurrence as those which attack the 
foot — that nearly half of the horses that become unserv- 
iceable, are rendered so by some defect in the feet, and 
such defects are most commonly attributed to bad shoe- 
ing. The art of shoeing is no longer in its infancy. 

Many years ago it was found necessary to protect the 
feet of horses by means of artificial coverings, but it is a 
matter of surprise that the method of shoeing most com- 

(13) 



XIV INTRODUCTION. 

monly practiced in this age of ours should prove so slight 
an advance upon its most primitive state. There are still 
cultivated and perpetuated in our midst certain injurious 
and unmeaning principles in the science of farriery, 
which have had their origin in the dead past, and which 
it is a shame to imitate or even allow to exist. 

Our author endeavors to bring together and lay before 
the public, in a plain but comprehensive manner, the re- 
sults of his extensive experience in modeling shoes and 
adapting them to the various styles of action to be found 
among trotting and work horses, and to point out the 
morbid conditions which may arise from the continued 
use of an improperly-constructed and irregularly-fitting 
shoe, together with a suggestion of how to preserve the 
feet in their natural healthy form, and how to restore 
them when lost. The work in question will not only be 
found of considerable value to every horse owner, but 
will be of incalculable service to the vast body of men 
engaged in the making and fitting of horseshoes. There 
are few classes of mechanics who are more disposed to 
act for themselves than farriers ; it is, consequently, 
above all things needful that they should proceed under 
safe guidance. 

The follies and errors of presuming, but unqualified 
and incompetent men, both as teachers and practitioners, 
have hitherto been a serious obstacle to advancement in 
the art of shoeing ; so much so, that with regard to the 
science of farriery, we have fallen behind the age in 



INTRODUCTION. XV 

which we live. Duty and justice require that as the 
horse increases in powers of usefulness to all the purposes 
of life, he deserves wiser and better means of " protec- 
tion" than those which doom him to a life of painful 
labor or constant lameness. "We complain of our far- 
riers, but the fault rests not solely with them ; it is rather 
shared by the great body of proprietors, whose interest 
it is, no less than their duty, to acquire such a knowledge 
of the nature of the animal economy, the seat of lame- 
ness, its causes and cures, as may enable them to preserve 
this most estimable contributor to our pleasures and com- 
forts from the ravages of a set of unskillful pretenders, 
whom a little of the pressure from without, as it is 
termed, would stimulate to wiser and more humane 
courses of action. 

The many works published of late years on this im- 
portant subject have been little more than a rehash of 
previous publications on the same subject. 

But the abundant material for study and consideration 
which a practical man has brought to the task and 
adopted in the present work, is an advance out of which 
good must come, and can not fail to be practically useful 
as well to the public as to the trade. The author is in- 
deed well qualified for the duty he has undertaken; his 
work has evidently been a labor of love, and these quali- 
fications, so happily combined, will render the work a 
valuable acquisition to any library, and an indispensable 
companion to all who practice farriery, or desire to know 



XVI INTRODUCTION. 

as much of the subject as may enable him to preserve 
the horse from the unnecessary suffering which so fre- 
quently waits upon his footsteps. 



George W. Bowler, V. S. 



HO W. Ninth Street, 

Cincinnati, Ohio. 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING, 



CHAPTER I. 

ANATOMY. 



At its commencement, where the true skin begins to 
produce it, the crust is extremely soft, thin, and white. 
Its inner surface bears the shape of a hollow ring in this 
part, and receives the coronary substance or cushion 
from which the crust is developed. An immense num- 
ber of foramina, or small pores, are arranged in this 
groove, and into each of them is inserted the villi, or 
minute blood-vessels, which secrete the plasma, or horny 
matter, of which the hoof is formed. This thin extenu- 
ation of the crust is called the coronary band, which, 
being of intermediate density, effects, between the hard, 
unyielding structure of the outer wall and the pliable 
texture of the skin which envelopes the lower limbs, a 
natural and efficient jointure. It acts also as a covering 
or protection to the wall at its upper part, and before it 
has acquired sufficient resistance to withstand exposure 
to the weather. The crust, we perceive, becomes harder 
and thicker toward the extremities, where it first comes 
in contact with the ground. It descends obliquely out- 
ward, whereby it becomes considerably broader at its 

(17) 



18 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

basis than at the coronet. It is of a solid, fibrous kind 
of horn, much resembling whalebone. In the interior 
parts of the hoof, these fibers become a laminated sub- 
stance, which possess great strength and are interwoven 
with similar membranes, covering the internal parts. 
The wall, from the coronet to the base of the hoof, di- 
minishes in height as it comes to the heel. In front, it 
is termed the toe; the sides are the quarters, and the 
quarters terminate in the heel. The entire interior face 
of the crust, except the groove mentioned, is lined by a 
beautiful laminated covering, in the form of thin, horny 
leaves, which range from the coronary ring to the ex- 
treme edge of the inner sole. These leaves or plates 
vary between six and seven hundred in number, and, 
being broadest at their base, and terminating in a deli- 
cate expansion of horn, may be said to resemble the 
under surface of a mushroom. They are united, as I 
have said, with corresponding laminae on the sensible 
foot, and these laminae form so secure a union between the 
crust and the parts within, that the horse's weight is, in 
great measure, supported by them. Nor are these mem- 
branes possessed merely of great strength; they are also 
endowed with a considerable degree of elasticity, consti- 
tuting, as it were, a series of most curious springs, which 
nature has provided to carry off concussion when the 
animal is in motion. 



ANATOMY. 



19 




VIITW OF A PERFECT HOOF. 

A, Outside crust or wall. 

B, B, B. Coronary band at toe and heel. 

C, Ring or groove for the reception of the coronary cushion. 

D, Sheaths or plates of horny laminae. 

E, E. Upper surface of horny sole. 

F, F. Bars or binders. 

G, G. Fissures between the bars, in which the sensitive frog is 
imbedded. 

II. Inner spur, corresponding with cleft of horny frog. 

As the extremities of the human fingers are the or- 
gans of touch, the skin which covers them is very thin 
and sensitive ; but the foot of a horse being required 
to sustain weight, as well as to have the necessary feel- 
ing, is adapted with a better guard, that he may go 
with confidence and safety, and not be injured from con- 
tact with the varied inequalities. It has, therefore, a 
skin-like covering of a denser nature, being that part 
of the hoof called the horny sole. The sole is firmly 
attached to the under side of the coffin bone, and is con- 



20 SCIENTIFIC HOKSESHOEING. 

nected to the wall at the extreme edges of that bone. 
The sole is concave or hollow, like the surface of the 
coffin bone immediately above it, consisting of a loose, 
scaly, and elastic kind of horn, which, like the wall, 
lies in parallel fibers, and, like them, developed by in- 
numerable vascular and sensitive tufts dependent from 
the living surface within. The sole scales off after a 
certain growth, and, by renewing itself constantly, is en- 
abled soon to recover from accidents to which it is liable. 

At the posterior part of the hoof the wall is suddenly 
folded back, as a covering to the cartilages of the foot 
bone, and terminates nearly in a point, when they have 
formed a complete covering, at the apex of the frog. 
These returns take the name of the bars or binders. The 
inside of the bars, like the inside of the wall, presents a 
continuation of the horny leaves, thus showing them to 
be a part of the same substance, and likewise performing 
the same office. The arch, which they form on either 
side, admirably fits the bars to admit and limit, to a 
proper extent, the expansion of the foot, as well as to 
powerfully oppose any disposition there may be in the 
hoof to contract, by assisting the heels in retaining their 
usual form. 

The coronet returns from the heel inward and for- 
ward like a dart, constituting the last outward covering 
of the inner sole, and, in this part, takes the name of the 
frog. It fills np the wide span intervening within the 
bars, and forms an isosceles triangle, its point being in 
the center of the sole, then divides into two branches, 
and runs toward the heel in the form of a fork. The 



ANATOMY. 21 

cleft forms a corresponding spur on its inner face, which 
imbeds itself into the fleshy frog, and serves the purpose 
of a fulcrum to the spring when the foot is violently 
exerted. The frog is united with the sole, but is com- 
posed of a tougher and more elastic kind of horn, of a 
consistency much resembling India rubber. The frog 
is less compact in its texture than the parts from which 
it proceeds, but, like other portions of the hoof, it is se- 
creted by villi, which thickly protrude from the overly- 
ing membrane. Its fibers differ, however, from other 
bodies by having a wavy motion which gives it addi- 
tional strength and elasticity. The frog serves as a 
cushion and support to the back sinews ; and, as the inter- 
vening space between them is filled with a fatty, elastic 
substance, it forms another of those curious springs with 
which nature prevents any painful concussion. The 
frog is enabled to yield to the expansion of the foot by 
having the cleft or opening that has been described, 
which expands and contracts upon violent exertion when 
the frog is permitted to touch the ground. It also 
yields to the bars in the expansion of the heels, and to 
the bones in their play upon one another. Like the sole, 
the frog grows from the internal surface to the external. 
This growth is perpetual, and is provided against excess- 
ive development by wearing off", in flakes, in the same 
manner as the sole, whenever the horn beneath has be- 
come sufficiently hard and dense to sustain contact with 
the ground. 

Having given this short account of the hoof, it re- 



22 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

mains for me to give a like description of the internal 
or sensitive foot. 




Fig. 2. 

A FRONT VIEW OF THE BONES OF THE FORE FOOT OF A HORSE IN THEIR RELA- 
TIVE SITUATION. 

A. Foot bone. 

B. Nut bone. 

C. Coronary bone. 

D. Pastern bone. 

E. Point of insertion of tbe extensor tendon. 

F. Concavity to give attachment to the cartilage of the foot. 

G. Groove which receives a division of the blood-vessels coming 

round from behind. 



The parts of which the internal foot is composed are 
replete with blood-vessels and nerves, and possessed of a 
high degree of sensitiveness, and so nicely do they adapt 
themselves to the cavity of the hoof that they com- 
pletely fill it, without suffering in the least from press- 
ure, unless the folly and obstinacy of man perverts or 



ANATOMY. 23 

destroys its beautiful structure. Three bones enter into 
the construction of the foot proper ; these are the coffin 
or foot bone, the navicular or nut bone, and the coronary 
or lower pastern bone. The above drawing has been 
given with a view to render the description we are about 
to give more intelligible to those of my readers who are 
unacquainted with anatomy, than it would otherwise 
have been. The coffin bone is the model upon which the 
entire hoof is constructed. In form it is crescent shaped, 
with its under surface hollowed out into a perfect arch^ 
whereby the horse is enabled to tread more firmly on the 
ground, and upon which form, as well as upon its sub- 
stance and general structure, depends its stoutness and 
durability. At each of the lower sides of the coffin bone 
are extensions, denominated wings, which are continued 
toward the heel, and whose processes give attachment to 
the cartilages, as I shall hereafter describe. 

The navicular or nut bone, is a small bone interposed 
transversely between the flexor tendon and the other 
bones, to remove the insertion of the tendon further 
from the center of motion, when that part of it which 
unites with the foot bone is forced downward by the vio- 
lent ' pressure of the toe against the ground. As this 
bone projects somewhat, it serves as a pulley for the ten- 
don to slide upon, and affords a considerable mechanical 
advantage for the action of the flexor muscles of the 
limb. 

The coronary or lower pastern bone which rests partly 
on the navicular and partly on the coffin bone, is the 



24 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

point of attachment between the ligaments and cartilages 
of the foot bone which come just within the hoof at the 
upper edge of the laminae, forming a kind of circle or 
crown here extending all round the coronet to the back 
part of the frog, and fitting into the corresponding 
groove of the crust already described. This projecting 
crown is termed the coronary cushion. Its surface is 
covered with the extremities of blood-vessels, which 
preside over the functions of secretion and of the repair 
of the hoof generally. This body in addition is highly 
elastic, and assists in the springy action ascribed to the 
laminae. 



ANATOMY. 



25 




Fig. 3. 

SECTION OF THE FOOT AND PASTERNS, SHOWING THE RELATIVE SITUATION 
OF THE BONES AND THE INTERNAL MECHANISM OF THE FOOT. 

A. Coffin or foot bone. 

B. Navicular or nut bone. 

C. Coronary or lower pastern bone. 

D. Upper pastern bone. 

E. One of the sesamoid bones. 

F. Cannon or shank bone. 
Gr. Horny frog. 

H. Sensitive frog. 

K. Sensitive sole. 

L. Horny or insensitive sole. 

M. Outer wall or crust. 

N. Laminated leaves or horny plates. 

0. Sensitive laminae. 

P, P. Tendon of the extensor muscle of the foot and coronary 

bones. 
E, R. Tendon of the flexor muscle of the coronary and foot 

bones. 



26 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

The bottom of the internal foot is formed by the sensi- 
tive frog and sole. The sensitive sole lies between the 
coffin bone and horny sole which is its outward covering; 
it extends beyond the coffin bone but not under the 
fleshy frog, over the bars where it is covered with laminss 
to unite with those that have been described as found on 
the bars. It is likewise thicker and more elastic. It is 
formed above of a ligamentous nature, and below of a 
skin-like substance plentifully supplied with blood-ves- 
sels and nerve fibers. Its office is plainly to supply a 
new growth for the sole, which it preserves in a proper 
degree of elasticity. From its position and yielding 
structure, it also aids in preventing concussion. 

The sensitive frog is a duplicate resemblance of the 
horny frog, to the concavities of which it is nicely ad- 
justed. It is fitted into a fissure formed by the inflection 
of the bars which prevents its being rendered too wide 
when it receives the horse's weight. It is attached in 
front to the sensitive sole, and at the back it adheres 
firmly to the lower part of the elastic cartilages. Thus 
formed and located, it is found to be a mass of consider- 
able thickness of a partly tendinous nature, which serves 
to protect, as by a cushion, the flexor tendon from ex- 
ternal violence. Another important function which it also 
performs, is the lubrication of the entire central portion 
of the hoof, which it does by straining off onto the sur- 
rounding surfaces the oil which is contained in it by 
capillary attraction. 

I have before observed that there are two cartilages 



ANATOMY. 27 

attached to the coffin bone, one on each side. They are 
connected to the body of the bone by a firm union, being 
fixed in a broad groove of some depth close to the edge 
of its articulating surface with the pastern bone, and 
adhere laterally to the ligaments of the joint. These 
cartilages are continued upward as high as the upper 
end of the pastern bone, becoming gradually thinner, 
till they are insensibly lost and are every-where sur- 
rounded and penetrated by a number of blood-vessels. 
They are attached to the under surface of the wings of 
the coffin bone, and terminate in a thin edge. The up- 
per and posterior part of this edge is united by strong 
ligamentous fibers to the under surface of the coffin 
bone. The cartilages are well adapted to ease shocks 
and produce that spring to the foot so necessary to the 
exertion of the hor^e, as well as to the rider, when the 
horse is required. 

Three ligaments connect the navicular bone to the 
foot and pastern bones. One of these ligaments takes 
its rise from the whole length of the rough groove on 
the lower and back part of the navicular bone, and is 
fixed to an angular eminence of the foot bone immedi- 
ately above the insertion of the flexor tendon into the 
bone last mentioned. This eminence prevents the pro- 
jecting edge of the foot bone from bearing on the liga- 
ments, even when the horse is in his utmost exertion, 
and the cavity is filled up by a portion of fatty elastic 
substance adhering to the upper surface of the ligament. 

The two upper ligaments arise from one common or- 



28 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

igin attached to the whole length of the rough surface 
of the nut hone, and pass on each side of the joint along 
lateral depressions in the pastern bone, and having ar- 
rived at its fore part, are continued on to the pastern 
bone, to which they are attached, just above its articu- 
lations with the coronary bone. Through their whole 
course they adhere firmly to the different bones. Where 
this ligament is united to the nut bone, it is thick and 
strong, but the upper part and lateral bands send off a 
very thin ligamentous expansion, covering the fatty sub- 
stance which lies on the posterior part of the pastern 
bone and on the upper projecting surface of the navicu- 
lar bone. 

Directly in the front face of the coffin bone, and upon 
its superior edge, is inserted the large extensor tendon, 
whose office is to thrust forward the foot and limb in 
motion. In the center of its lower surface is the ending 
of the flexor tendon, the muscle that bends and lifts up 
the foot. Upon the attachments of these tendons de- 
pend principally the animal's movements ; they are, so 
to speak, the motor engines of the limbs. An elastic 
net-work substance envelops them in close folds, for 
their security and retention in their proper places. This 
net-work is, in its turn, surrounded by a membranous 
coating, which is the immediate connection between the 
inner parts and the horny hoof without. 



ANATOMY. 29 




Fig. 4. 

SIDE VIEW OF THE FOOT, TO SHOW THE ARTERIES AND VEINS. 

A. Plantar vein. 

B. Plantar artery. 

C. Membranous covering of the coffin bone. 
T>. Plantar nerve. 

The arteries and veins of the foot come last tinder 
consideration. One large artery, accompanied by one 
large vein, passes along the posterior concave surface of 
the cannon bone, covered by the flexor tendon, till they 
reach the lower surface of that bone. There they each 
divide into two, and proceed on each side of the flexor 
tendon, throwing out various ramifications till they come 
to the cartilages. At this point, on each side, the main 
trunk sends off two principal branches, one of which 
passes round the coronet and unites with a similar 
branch from the opposite side. The other runs along 



30 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

the cartilage to the fleshy frog, while the trunk itself 
is continued clown into the hollow of the foot, putting 
out a number of branches in its course, one of which, 
passing through the cartilages along a groove in the 
anterior surface of the foot bone, loses itself upon the 
soft parts which cover it. The main trunk on each side 
passes along a groove and through openings into the 
substance of the foot bone, dividing into several 
branches, which pass out through corresponding open- 
ings on the anterior surface of the foot bone, and anas- 
tomose with those from the opposite side and with the 
lateral branches. The veins upon the foot are in infin- 
itely greater number than the arteries. Smaller ramifi- 
cations, anastomosing universally with one another, form 
a kind of network over the whole under and anterior 
surface of the foot bone, while the branches which cover 
the cartilages are very numerous, and form common 
trunks of a considerable size, uniting over the anterior 
surface of the flexor tendon, and likewise again a little 
higher up under that tendon, finally forming one large 
venous trunk on each side of the flexor tendon. This 
appearance of the veins will be better understood by a 
reference to the plate (fig. 4). 

The blood-vessels centering in the foot are accompa- 
nied by numerous sensory nerves, which, radiating 
throughout the entire foot, give to it the necessary pow- 
ers of feeling, and render the horse sure and careful in 
his movements. The lower extremities of the plantar 
nerves are inclosed between the plantar veins and arte- 



ANATOMY. 31 

ries, and enter the foot just above the coronet, passing 
in a small channel on the inside of the wings of the 
coffin bone, and firmly united to the lower posterior sur- 
face of that bone at either side of the attachments of the 
flexor tendon. 




FRONT VIEW OF THE FOOT, SHOWING THE LAMINATED APPEARANCE OF THE 
INTERNAL SURFACE, ADAPTING IT TO THE FIBROUS STRUCTURE SHOWN 
IN FIG. 1. 

A. Coronary substance or cushion. 

B. Sensitive laminse. 

C. Fine villous surface, for the purpose of sensation. 

A membraneous skin surrounds the whole foot like a 
glove. The part of it which corresponds with the toe, 
the quarters, and the bars of the hoof is of a laminated 
texture. The other parts nearly resemble the common 
skin of the body. These laminse are extremely vascular 
and sensitive, and terminate in a fine villous surface, 



32 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

which forms the organ of touch. These tender, lami- 
nated substances differ from that which I have before de- 
scribed, as found on the crust, in possessing numerous 
blood-vessels, and in their sense of exquisite feeling, they 
are subject to acute fever and inflammation, through the 
effects of bad shoeing, hard pulling or traveling, and 
other like abuses. From their influence, moving, as they 
do, one in the other, the relations between the coflin 
bone and the other parts of the hoof are made pliant, 
easy, and consequently useful. This membrane also cov- 
ers other portions of the foot, giving it a very high de- 
gree of vitality, as well as additional powers of secretion. 
The coronary and plantar cushions are overspread with 
it, as also is the sole of the foot bone. Villi, or tufts of 
blood-vessels, are numerous, and give to those parts the 
appearance of fine pile or velvet. 



THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 



33 



CHAPTER II. 

THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 




Fig. 6. 

SIDE VIEW OF THE HOOF, WITH A SCALE FOR RECKONING ITS PROPER DE- 
GREE OF OBLIQUITY. 

N. B. The proper angle to which the hoof should approach is 
marked in this scale at about 45° or 55°. 

The judgment necessary to know and discriminate 
between what approaches the natural and the unnatural 
in the inclination of a horse's foot, is something that 
can not be too seriously considered by all those who have 
the management of horses; and especially is this the 
case with regard to the practicing farrier, since without 
it the horse has literally no protection from serious in- 
jury at his hands. Hence the infinite consequence of 



34 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

particular care being paid to the due degree of that 
growth in which the foot ought to he kept, as well as 
the proper height, weight, width, and length of the shoe 
and the manner in which it ought to he put on so as to pro- 
mote the two circumstances of expansion and contraction, 
which of all others are the most important. Unless these 
are duly preserved, numerous evils will follow, which I 
shall hereafter endeavor to explain. The above scale 
points out the degree of obliquity to which the hoof com- 
pares ; though this will always be found to differ in differ- 
ent horses, the higher bred horses showing a tendency to 
a more upright line of hoof than do the other animals, 
and hence the impossibility of giving one rule to meet 
such diversified requirements. The foot must be taken 
and [(reserved as much as possible in its own natural po- 
sition. Any foot, however, may be perverted or altered 
from its proper degree of obliquity, by the farrier paring 
the heels down and leaving long toes, or by having low 
toes and high heels. It remains, therefore, for me to 
point out the means for preserving the foot level and 
straight. For this purpose, the following diagram is re- 
sorted to : 



THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 



35 




Fig. 7. 

SHOWING A PERFECT HOOF PROPERLY PREPARED FOR THE SHOE, TOGETHER 
WITH A METHOD OF OBTAINING LEVELS. 

C, C. Line through center from toe to heel. 
H, H. Line through center of quarters. 

I, I, I, I. Intersecting lines marking the width of heel and sides 
of toe. 

B, B. Bars. 

F, F. Frog. 

G, G. Grooves, called commissures. 
S, S. Sole. 

W, W. Wall bearing surface. 

Notwithstanding the many difficulties that are made 
out to be in keeping the shape and structure of the 
horse's foot sound and unimpaired by any mode of shoe- 
ing, I will venture to affirm, in the light of my experi- 
ence, that it is a very simple process, and easily to be ac- 



36 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

complished by any one who will attentively consider the 
principles I shall lay down. In order to be got into con- 
dition for shoeing, the first object of attention is to bring 
the foot to a perfectly level bearing. If this is properly 
managed, the secret of success in farriery is resolved ; for 
I am convinced that this is the most important qualifi- 
cation connected with the art of shoeing, and by keeping 
in view this single principle, I have done more for the im- 
provement of the strength or perfection of the horse's 
foot than I could by learning all the mysteries of the 
veterinary school. In Fig. 7 is represented a perfect 
foot properly prepared for the shoe. This may be taken 
as a standard of perfection, from which the goodness of 
feet in general may be judged of. If we wish to exam- 
ine a perfect foot, such as nature made it, it is generally 
necessary to find one that has never been shod, for the 
common mode of shoeing is so frequently destructive, 
that we seldom meet with a horse whose feet have not lost 
in some degree their original form, and this deviation 
from their natural shape is generally proportioned to the 
length of time he has worn shoes. From this circum- 
stance, writers on farriery have been led to form various 
opinions respecting the most desirable form for a horse's 
foot, but had an ever provident nature been consulted 
this variety of opinion it seems to me would never have 
existed. They would have been convinced that the feet 
of all horses in a state of nature, or not improperly shod, 
are nearly of the same shape, and surely no one will dis- 
pute that this form, which the Creator has given them, 



THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 37 

is the most perfect, and far better adapted to all the 
purposes for which the animal was designed, than any 
that can he given by the most ingenious farrier. If we 
examine the natural feet of many horses, it will be found 
that their essential shape is the same. Some may have 
grown more luxuriantly than others, it is true, whereby 
the crusts will be deeper and the bottom part may be 
broken, so as to give the foot a ragged and uneven ap- 
pearance, but when this superfluous horn has been re- 
moved it will be found that the bottom of the foot will 
be like the accompanying figure, nearly circular ; the 
sole concave ; the bars distinct ; the frog open, and the 
heel expanded. 

In preparing the horse's foot for the shoe, it is neces- 
sary to be well acquainted with its natural form, in order to 
determine how far it has been altered or destroyed by 
any plan of shoeing. For example, take a horse that 
has a sound, well-formed foot, let it be improperly pared, 
and let bad shoes be applied, in all probability lameness 
will not be the immediate consequence. By a repetition, 
however, of this practice, it will be found that the or- 
iginal shape of the foot is gradually altered, and eventu- 
ally it will be so far deformed as to produce, perhaps, in- 
curable lameness ; therefore, we ought not to be satisfied 
with a plan of shoeing merely because a horse is not 
immediately made lame by it, but should examine also 
the effect produced by it upon the shape and structure 
of the foot ; and this rule may be invariably depended 
on, that any mode of shoeing and treating the foot which 



38 SCIENTIFIC HOKSESHOEING. 

has a tendency to alter the form given it by nature is 
highly absurd and destructive, while that practice which 
tends to preserve its original form is founded upon sound 
and rational principles. When, therefore, we undertake 
to get a horse's foot into condition, it is important to be 
very particular in bringing it to its best form, as there 
are many apparently trifling circumstances which have 
much to do with what is termed good feet, though 
generally little attended to. 

It is on this ground that I think it necessary to recom- 
mend to every farrier the use of the compasses (see Fig. 
8) in bringing the foot to its proportionate level. 




SMALL HAND-COMPASSES, FIVE OR SIX INCHES IX THE BRANCH, FOR MEAS- 
URING THE FOOT. 

I can truly assert, that I have seen many instances of 
the injurious effects of a want of care in properly bal- 
ancing the foot, which, had a little judicious care been 



THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 39 

exercised in respect to the method of leveling the foot, 
might have been entirely obviated. 

It is my practice to first ascertain the height of the 
heels opposite the lines, I, I, by measuring with com- 
passes from coronet to ground surface ; then the quarters 
above the lines, H, II, and likewise the sides of the toe, 
opposite the lines, I, I. In the same manner, on the 
bottom, the foot is to be measured at the lines, II, II, 
where its diameter is the greatest from the middle of the 
frog to the outside rim of the hoof. By thus ascertain- 
ing the gradations of the foot, and duly proportioning it, 
before shoeing, to that degree of safety possible, there is 
no doubt that the strength and general condition of the 
foot will be brought to the highest state it is capable of 
attaining. In the foot prepared for the shoe (Fig. 7), 
the lower part is to be reduced when too full ; that is, 
the superfluous horn is to be cut away, more particularly 
at the toe, and, by means of a buttress or rasp, a broad, 
even surface made for the shoe to bear upon ; the loose, 
scaly parts of the sole are to be removed, so as to pre- 
serve its concavity ; and if any ragged parts are observed 
in the frog, they are to be carefully removed with a 
knife. The junction of the bar and crust is a natural, 
firm bearing for the heel of the shoe, and is to be rasped 
perfectly flat and even, and so low as to be exactly on a 
level with the frog. Indeed, the whole bottom of the 
crust is to be made equally on a plain surface, at the 
same time, with the rasp, that the shoe may bear equally 
on every part of it. 



40 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 9. 



REPRESENTING THE BACK OR SOLE BEARING PART OF A SHOE, WITH INSIDE 
EDGE CONCAVED, AND FLAT SURFACE FOR THE CRIST TO BEAR UPON. 

. Thus do we prepare a foot for the shoe, and to a foot 
of this description the shoe (Fig. 9) is to he applied. 
This shoe should ordinarily he perfectly flat on the 
ground-wearing part, hut is to he worn concave on the 
surface next the foot, else it will he apt to produce lame- 
ness hy pressing on the sole. I have shown that, in a 
sound foot, the sole is always concave, and it might be 
supposed that it can not possibly receive any pressure 
from a flat shoe. But when a horse is exerting himself, 
either in galloping or drawing burdens, the sudden 
action of the animal's weight causes the lamina? to gradu- 
ally lengthen and suffer the coffin bone to press on the 
sole, its concavity and elasticity allows it to descend and 
expand, and that gradual yielding must materially en- 



THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 41 

danger the sole by a violent contact with the shoe, were 
it made otherwise than hollow ; and it must be granted, 
too, when a foot is pared in the common way — that is, 
when the frog has been mutilated, the bars destroyed, 
and the sole weakened — the clanger of injury is propor- 
tionately lessened with shoes concaved on the back. 

The shoe should not be unduly wide. Narrow webbed 
shoes are eminently the best, as they allow the sole to 
exfoliate or scale off, according to its growth, which 
tends to preserve its strength and condition. The shoes 
vary, according to the necessities of the case — for a mid- 
dle-sized horse, being about one-half inch in width and 
three-eighths in thickness. 

The weight of the shoe is a consideration of such im- 
portance that I can not account for its having been gen- 
erally overlooked. The constant pounding with iron- 
weighted feet on the hard roads and stones of cities, I 
am satisfied, serves to jam up more of our best animals 
than almost any other cause. It is not a little strange 
that so many farriers should fail to see all this, and set 
about remedying it. I am not prepared to believe that 
shoes weighing several pounds are necessary for even our 
heaviest horses, when an equal or greater advantage is 
to be found in shoes weighing only half as much. 
Common sense declares against it, and it is fair to as- 
sume that by wearing heavy shoes, as well as by leaving 
them on so long, the majority of our horses are at the 
decadence of their powers, when, they should be at their 
prime. Calculating that a horse going a fair trot lifts 



42 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

his feet all round sixty times a minute, and this with 
shoes weighing two pounds each, the reader will he ahle 
to realize how enormous the amount is that can he un- 
necessarily raised to the wear and tear of the living 
members. 

It will probably he observed of the shoe which I have 
recommended, that it involves the principle which has 
been laid down respecting the necessity of the frog's re- 
ceiving pressure. This I believe to he an incontroverti- 
ble fact, that, unless the frog receives a certain degree of 
pressure, it will become hard and dry, and incapable of 
affording sufficient protection to the sensitive frog, which 
it immediately covers, and that the heels will gradually con- 
tract, and the natural form of the foot he destroyed ; for I 
have seen that the bars alone are not sufficient to prevent 
contraction, though they certainly oppose it with cousid r 
erable force. It will be proper to observe, however, that 
when a horse, even with a sound foot, has worn shoes 
that are very thick or turned up at the heels, particularly 
if at the same time the crust at the heels has been suf- 
fered to grow so high that the frog is kept at a consider- 
able distance from the ground, it would be very improper 
to reduce the heels suddenly, so as to allow the frog to 
receive pressure, since the back sinews would in this case 
be injured, and lameness might ensue. In feet of this 
description, it is necessary to remove from the toe all 
that can be done without exposing the part too much, 
and to lower the heels gradually. It may be observed 
that in the illustration (Fig. 9) the nail holes are not 



THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 43 

brought near to the toe, but a considerable way round 
from it; place the nails in the quarters, by which the shoe 
is certainly rendered more secure than it would be had 
they been placed nearer the toe. In shoeing the hind 
feet the nails can be placed well back at the heels, as the 
quarters and heels are the strongest and thickest. The 
nail holes should be punched through the shoe straight, 
except in cases, as otherwise directed, that all danger of 
cramping the foot may be avoided when the nails are 
driven. A low, short, thick hold for the nail is better 
both for the ease of the foot, as well as for the greater 
security to the fastening of the shoe. By driving the 
nail in this manner, it will be perceived that they pass 
obliquely out of the hoof, and escape the tendency which 
commonly prevails in nailing to prick or wound the 
sensitive foot. It is reasonably objectionable against 
large bladed nails, that they not unfrequently break and 
weaken the wall. Small nails are preferable, and if there 
be a level bearing of the shoe upon the foot, they will 
serve the purpose as well or better than those of larger 
size. 



44 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 10. 



THE PATTERN'S AND SIZES OF 



KAILS, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEIR 
USES. 

No. 1. For plating running horses and colts. 

No. 2. For training shoes on running horses. 

No. 3. For the track horse. 

No. 4. For the roadster. 

No. 5. For general business and hack horse. 

No. G. For omnibus and stage horses. 

No. 7. For light draught horses. 

No. 8. For heavy draught horses. 

After the nails are driven, file or rasp the crust slightly 
underneath the clinches before laying them to the foot. 
In turning the clinches down, they should be put directly 
with the angle of the foot. In punching the nail holes, 
they must be straight ; or, if any deviation made from 
this, the nail should incline outwardly. 



SHOEING OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF HORSES. 45 



CHAPTER III. 

SHOEING OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF HORSES. 

The horse, in bis animal organization and external 
characteristics, is strongly marked ; but constant as are 
these general characters, the figure of the horse is as 
varied as the purposes for which man employs him. If 
he differs in different countries in form and in size, it is 
from influence of climate or cultivation, but otherwise 
from the war-horse in the grand description of Job, or 
as he is depicted in the friezes of ancient temples, to the 
fleet and beautiful Arabian or diminutive Shetlander, 
there is an evident similarity of form and destination 
which clearly stamps his common origin. 

Although such variation in external form is particu- 
larly marked at the present day, when the horse is so 
universally employed, and when, as a rule, each descrip- 
tion of work is performed by an animal having qualities 
especially adapted for it, such was not the case in the 
earlier ages of the world. Horses were then chiefly de- 
voted to the purposes of war or pleasure, and there was 
little need for any great diversity. In early historic 
times the horse was rarely, if ever, used for draught or 
agricultural purposes. Oxen were then the only animals 
engaged in the laborious operations of husbandry. But 
the beauty and convenience of the horse, as well as his 



46 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

strength and tractability, have now connected him with 
almost all the purposes of life, and his existence and 
services are most closely connected with the natural, so- 
cial, and commercial advancement of the world. 

The Draught Horse. 

Having already shown the proper method of prepar- 
ing the perfect foot for the shoe, and explained the con- 
ditions best adapted for preserving its vigor, it will he 
necessary now to give more particular consideration to 
"Mie special purposes of shoeing. This is a subject of 
considerable importance and requires more attention than 
is commonly paid to it, as the safety, speed, and endur- 
ance of the animal greatly depend upon the adaptation of 
his shoeing to the nature of the work he has to perform, 
and at all times a careful application of it to the state of 
his foot. This, indeed, constitutes the most difficult part 
in the art of shoeing, for it will at once appear that all 
feet, differing as they do in conditions and uses, can not 
be alike operated upon, nor can one kind of shoe be sup- 
posed to answer the purposes of all. Thus it happens, 
in this pursuit, that a want of attention to the means 
employed, or a regard for the consequences, must lead to 
very serious defects, and render worthless shoes of the 
best form. When, therefore, we undertake to put a 
horse's foot in order, it is necessary first to inquire for 
what kind of labor he is designed, whether it be for the 
turf, for business, or the road. 

In preparing for the shoe the foot of a draught horse, 



SHOEING OF DIFFEKENT KINDS OF HOESES. 47 

it seems almost superfluous to observe that the most essen- 
tial requisite for a horse of this description, is that he 
shall be strong and well-footed, as, when burdens are 
placed upon his back, and he is driven about upon hard 
roads, he is certainly circumstanced for hard and solid 
hoofs if ever horse was. Yet how frequently do we meet 
with horses that are weak and tender in the feet, and 
how subject are they to mishaps from this tenderness, 
which generally arises from the stupid opinion of some 
farrier and a neglect of these precautions. In respect to 
feet of this class, it is necessary to afford the crust a firm 
bearing for the shoe, that it may be adequate to the 
heavy burdens which it has to sustain. Let the bearing 
surface be good and broad, and prepared in the manner 
already described. Have particular care that the sole is 
not pared away or /weakened, which would, of course, 
expose the foot to occasions of accident and lameness. 
The junction of the bar and crust affords a firm support 
for the heel of the shoe, and is to be rasped perfectly flat 
and leveled with the frog ; but the connection between 
the bar and the crust is not to be impaired, and the frog 
and heels allowed to remain entire, and all the available 
strength of the foot will thus be obtained. The toe is to 
be shortened as much as can be conveniently done, but 
the external face of the hoof must be carefully preserved 
from tooth of file or rasp. The shoe for draught horses 
should be moderately heavy and as narrow in its covering 
as the nature of the case will allow. When the shoes 
for draught horses require calks at toe and heel, they 



48 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

should be low and of equal height. The practice of hot- 
fitting and clipping is very destructive. Burning the 
sole will, in time, partially destroy the sensitive lamina?, 
and impairs the membraneous lining underneath the 
coffin bone, as well as closing the pores of the horn, 
causing the hoof to become hard, dry, and brittle. It 
also impedes, to a certain extent, as a necessary conse- 
quence, the healthy growth of the hoof. The advocates 
of hot-fitting present many specious reasons for the fur- 
therance of the practice. It is alleged that shoes can not 
be fitted so rapidly nor as closely by any means other 
than that of hot-fitting ; and this is generally true, for, 
by this means, the hoof is burned to correspond with 
the inequalities which occur on the surface of the shoe, 
until the latter is thoroughly imbedded in the horn. 
On the other hand, however, this fusing of the horn is 
in opposition to its right growth and operation, and is 
the prolific source of many evils and abuses. Horn, be- 
ing a non-conductor of heat, is slowly affected by it, 
and it is said that three minutes' burning of the lower 
face of the sole is necessary to produce any indication 
of increase of temperature on its upper surface. This 
is a fallacy, as I have proven many times, by operating 
upon green specimens, with soles of varied thickness, in 
which case, the soles of ordinary depth were penetrated 
by the heat, when heated shoes were applied for the 
time specified, and the sensitive sole was found to be 
scorched, as well as the laminae, in its connections with 
the sole, burned and charred. In the living subject, 



SHOEING OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF HORSES. 49 

those effects would have wrought serious results. They 
have convinced me that the foot of a horse may in no 
sense be compared to an inanimate block of wood, which 
may be charred or carved as caprice may dictate. And 
because it is not, and because it is filled with life and 
feeling, the necessity which there is of thought, care, 
and skill being exercised in regard to it, is pointed out 
to us. The economy of labor attained in the process of 
hot-fitting, will, I am sure, never counterbalance its evil 
effects. While it is true that more shoes can be fitted 
in a given time by hot-fitting than by cold, that is no 
argument against the expediency of the latter, as much 
or more might be said of any other part of the work. 

The Racking Horse. 

The rack is altogether an ac4uired pace, being unnat- 
ural to the wild horse, and is performed by two legs of 
the same side moving in exact correspondence with each 
other. The action is a rapid one, and is very easy and 
pleasant for the horseman, but extremely tiring to the 
horse. 

Much judgment is required in shoeing this class of 
horses, as there is great liability to pull off the front 
shoes, by an overreach of the hind feet. 



50 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 11. 

ENGLISH SEATED SHOE. 

For this horse, a shoe well concaved on its ground 
surface, as seen in Fig. 11, is required to insure a firm 
foothold, as well as to provide against the mischance of 
picking up stones. In dressing the foot, follow the in- 
structions given in the previous article for that purpose. 
The hoofs of the fore feet must remain very strong, and 
if the action of the front quarters is found to be slow 
for that of the hind quarters, it will be necessary for a 
change to be made in the shoes. In such a case, a pat- 
tern, known as the scoop-toe rolling-motion shoe, and 
which is indicated in Fig. 46, should be adopted. The 
effect of this style of shoe will be to quicken the action 
of a horse in front, by means of the " roll" in the toe. 
This effect can also be accomplished by the use of the 
plain rolling-motion shoe. In addition, also, the hind 



SHOEING OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF HORSES. 51 

feet must be shod with a light concaved shoe, with 
small heel calkins. These shoes will render the horse 
sure-footed, and enable him to move with ease to him- 
self, producing that graceful carriage so much desired 
by the pleasure rider. 

The Pacing Horse. 

Like the rack, this gait is performed by two legs of 
the same side moving at the same time. Thus half of 
the body is moved forward, while the w T eight of the 
whole is supported on the other. The pace is altogether 
an artificial movement to the horse, and is a very rapid 
gait. 

In shoeing the pacer, as light a shoe is required as is 
consistent with safety. It should be so made as to be 
concave from the outer rim of the shoe to the sole of the 
foot. This will have the effect of giving the horse a 
firm foothold, and thus shod he is not so liable to twist his 
foot or slip while in motion, as he would otherwise be. 
The hind foot shoe should, in addition, have small heel 
calkins, so as to serve as a check when the foot lands 
upon the ground. The directions given elsewhere 
should be observed in this case, when dressing and par- 
ing the foot. 

The Track Horse and Roadster 
will require more skill and judgment in shoeing than 
any of the preceding. The feet should be pared down 
level and straight, as well as evenly balanced from coro- 
net to ground surface. The toe, also, should be short- 



52 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

ened as much as safety will permit, leaving the frog, 
bars, and heels unmolested. The shoe should rest 
evenly all around the foot, and at the point of the coffin 
bone there should be no pressure upon the sole, as such 
pressure would be injurious to the bone and sole, when 
the horse is in violent motion, sometimes producing 
soreness and lameness. The track horse requires to 
have his shoes well concaved on the ground surface, and 
his hind shoes to have small heel calkins. The nail 
holes should be punched straight, and the nails small. 
Reset the shoes every three or four weeks, and have 
them tit snugly to the foot, to obviate the danger of pull- 
ing them off by an overreach. 

The Running Horse. 

In the running or race horse, the farrier meets with a 
more carefully kept, and consequently a more perfect, 
hoof than in horses of any other class. 

The care bestowed upon the race horse begins with 
foaling; hence the strength of the foot is not in the 
least impaired. The foot is not deprived of its proper 
degree of moisture and elasticity by injudicious methods 
of shoeing, and, in fact, the race horse is the only class 
of horses whose feet are cared for according to their 
natural requirements. When properly shod, their train- 
ing shoes are quite light ; small nails are used, to pre- 
vent injuring or weakening the hoof. Before racing, 
however, their training shoes are removed, and racing 
plates applied in their stead. The weight of these is 



SHOEING OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF HORSES. 53 




Fig. 12. 

RACING PLATE. 

about one and a half to two ounces, the width "being 
about three-eighths of an inch, and the thickness 
scarcely to exceed three-sixteenths of an inch. The 
shoes must be well concaved on the ground surface, to 
prevent slipping upon it, being evenly fitted all around 
and nailed solidly to the heels, at the extreme points of 
the shoe, to prevent it springing or twisting upon the 
foot during the violent exertions of the horse. The 
free, easy, and vigorous action of a perfect foot is here 
exhibited in a first rate manner. The frog, bars, and 
sole being left intact and unrestrained by the shoe, the 
foot expands and gathers itself naturally together again 
at each stride which the horse takes. 



54 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



CHAPTER IV. 

DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 

Among the various diseases to which domestication 
and improper management have subjected the horse, 
there are none of such frequent occurrence, or that are 
more often obstinate and difficult of cure, as those which 
attack the foot. And what makes this subject of the 
first importance is, that unless a horse's foot be perfectly 
healthy and sound, his capabilities for speed and exertion 
are in some manner and to some extent seriously im- 
paired and his vigor proportionally affected. Auother 
consideration I must suggest is, that these diseases, when 
allowed to exist by neglect, or when improperly treated, 
are oftentimes produccive of permanent injury and se- 
vere lameness ; whereas, by seasonably applying proper 
remedies, the feet have been perfectly restored. 

Since a large proportion of the defects in horses' feet 
originate and are developed by bad methods of farriery, 
it must surely be of sufficient importance to every man 
w T ho values his horse, to acquire such a knowledge of 
this subject as may enable him to preserve and defend so 
useful an animal from the multitude of afflictions and in- 
juries which a set of unskillful pretenders bring upon 
him. It remains for me, therefore, to treat of those dis- 
eases separately, to which I have briefly alluded, and de- 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 55 

scribe particularly under this head their nature and 
causes, together with the most effectual mode of treat- 
ment which an extensive practice in shoeing has sug- 
gested to me. 

Founder and Laminitis. 

Founder is a disease which requires the most prompt 
and efficacious treatment, and unless speedy relief be af- 
forded the complaint increases and soon degenerates into 
a more serious form of disease, and proves extremely 
difficult to cure. It may arise from various causes. The 
following, I believe, are those by which it is generally 
produced : 1. Drinking freely of cold water when 
heated by violent exercise, particularly when such exer- 
cise has been continued for some time. 2. Exposure to 
cold wind or rain under the same circumstances. 3. Im- 
moderate allowance of corn. This complaint consists in 
inflammation or fever, and begins with an appearance of 
weakness or loss of vital energy, then followed by stiff- 
ness of the legs and body. 

At the first attack of this malady, immersing the feet 
in tubs of warm water for twenty-four hours will gener- 
ally be found an effectual remedy; but if it be neglected, 
it is most commonly succeeded by laminitis. Laminitis 
exists in the form of local inflammation in the foot which 
very soon diffuses itself to the laminated structure, and 
does great injury to these important membranes, occa- 
sioning severe pain and lameness, and proving extremely 
difficult to cure. When we consider that the horse's 



56 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

weight is suspended by these laminae, as a carriage by its 
springs, and though the bottom of the internal foot is in 
contact with the sole, it, nevertheless, does not press 
upon it considerably, except when the horse is in motion, 
and the back part of the laminae elongates and descends 
upon the sole in a small degree, it will readily appear 
that when these elastic membranes are no longer capa- 
ble of supporting and moving under the weight, the in- 
ternal foot must press upon the sole which flattens or 
convexes it, and is more commonly termed the drop sole 
or pummice foot. When the laminae are thus affected, 
the malady generally proceeds to a complete separation 
between the crust and the internal parts. The crust 
then loses its proper form, and becomes flatter, appear- 
ing as if it was forced upward from the ground. When 
this separation takes place, the accidental cavity is filled 
with a precipitation of horny fungous matter. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 



57 




Fig. 13. 

SECTION OF THE FOOT. 

A. Coffin or foot bone. 

B. Navicular or nut bone. 

C. Coronary or lower pastern bone. 

D. Upper pastern bone. 

E. Sesamoid bone. 

F. Cannon or shank bone. 

G-. Horny sole deprived of its substance and flattened or bulged 

down . 
K. Sensitive sole. 

M. Crust broken and forced out of its relative position. 
1ST. Laminated substance, and seat of laminitis. 
0. Fungous growth. 
P, P. Extensor tendon. 
E, Pi. Flexor tendon. 

It is first necessary to shorten up the toe as much as 
can be done without injury. As the sole, in this condi- 
tion, is thin and weak, care must he taken that it is not 
cut or pared in any way. In preparing the foot for the 
proper levels of the shoe, commence at the heel, lower 



58 SCIENTIFIC HOESESHOEING. 

both sides as much as can be safely borne, and this oper- 
ation must be carried forward toward the quarters. 
When the sole is badly dropped, it will sometimes be 
found impossible to get more than two or three inches 
of level surface for the shoe to bear upon. The front 
part of the hoof must next be weakened, by rasping from 
coronet to ground surface, until serum is apparent, extend- 
ing this operation back to the quarters. When the foot is 
thus prepared, a shoe as shown by Fig. 14 is to be applied. 




Fig. 14. 

SHOE FOR DROP SOLES OR FLAT FEET. 

By having the toe set well back on the shoe, the cen- 
ter of gravity will fall more directly under the bearing 
of the foot and leg bones, and the strain is partly taken 
off the weakened laminse. If the foot be wide at the 
heel and quarters, clips should be drawn up on both sides 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 59 

of the shoe, opposite the wings of the coffin bone, that 
the hoof may be retained from further expansion. Clips 
are not to be used at the front ; bevel the front part of 
the shoe at the toe on the ground surface, to prevent the 
horse stumbling or tripping. Reset the shoes every 
three weeks, by lowering the heels again, and, by so 
doing, the foot gradually permits an increased bearing 
toward the quarters, and, in four or five shoeings, the 
sole will return to its natural concave form. Do not file 
or rasp the new growth. By the application of cold 
water to the coronet, by means of a swathing of the 
parts with a loose pad at night, the new growth will be 
stimulated. 

The shoe being nailed solidly at the heel, it will be 
readily seen that, the front part being released, and an 
.open space intervening between the foot and the shoe, at 
every step which the horse takes forward, the foot presses 
down to meet the shoe, and just in proportion as the foot 
springs down, the sole will be returned to its natural cup- 
like form. 

Founder and laminitis are not the cause of all drop 
soles. Springing the shoe off the heels, thereby break- 
ing down the quarters, will also produce flat feet, espec- 
ially in this case, with large draught horses, that have 
low, broad heels. 



60 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 15 

SHOWING THE SEVERE EFFECTS OK AN EXTREME CASE OF LAMIN1TIS UPON 

THE FOOT I50XE. 

(Thin specimen loaned by Dr. Bowler.) 

The above specimen is one of the results of acute lam- 
initis. The bone has become much distorted from its 
original form, from the pressure of the part constantly 
under weight when the sole has become dropped, and the 
upper surface had " dished," as it were, or fallen in, un- 
til only one-half its original height, while it had grown 
all over it, an immense number of small spines or thorn- 
like spurs, and the lower part of the bone convexed in 
an extreme degree, bulging down until it had lost all 
semblance to its original shape. The destructive effects 
of this disease upon the internal structure of the foot 
are well displayed in this drawing. When this disease 
becomes chronic, it is generally pronounced incurable ; 
but by proper management of the foot, as explained in 
case of founder and the use of the shoe (Fig. 14), the 
horse will be greatly assisted in his movements, though 
he must only be used for slow work. For relative com- 
parison, height, and angle, see Figs 2 and 3. 

The falling or dropping of the sole of the hoof origi- 
nates, or is rather the result of a severe attack of lami- 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 61 

nitis, because, where we find this inflammation of the 
sensitive laminse existing for a length of time — that is, 
until it has been prolonged to the suppurative stage — 
the laminae become detached from each other ; conse- 
quently, the support is gone, and the weight of the body 
forces the coffin bone down upon the horny sole, and 
from this time forth the bulging or dropping of the sole 
continues, the coffin bone becomes deformed, its concave 
surface becomes convex, the weight is thrown backward, 
the coffin bone curves upward at the toe, and the sole 
of the hoof naturally conforms to the changes of the 
inner structure. (See Fig. 13.) 




This specimen shows the effects of laminitis, and a 
neglect in paring and leveling the foot, the wall becom- 
ing twice its natural thickness, and hard and dry. The 
toe had been allowed to grow more than two inches too 
long; the outside of the hoof had grown rough and 
ridgy ; on the inside of the foot certain portions of the 



62 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

horny leaves had given way, and looked honey-combed, 
while other portions were comparatively sound and 
healthy. Laminitis does not always affect all the lami- 
nated structure; certain portions only are at first dis- 
eased, but, if allowed to continue any length of time, 
the whole substance may become involved. 

For a foot affected in this manner, pare and level it as 
low as the safety of the foot will permit; thin the outer 
wall from coronet to ground surface, by rasping or filing 
it, and, if the foot shows signs of tenderness in the sole, 
it must be protected by using a broad webbed shoe, well 
concaved on the sole bearing surface, the nail holes to 
be punched where the foot appears to be least affected. 
Apply a shoe such as that seen in Fig. 14, or the four 
calkin shoe (Fig. 32), or the scoop toe rolling-motion 
shoe (Fig. 46). Cold water bandages may be used in 
keeping the foot moist. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 



63 



Distortion. 




Fig. 17. 

The above figure represents a view of one of the 
many morbid specimens of feet which I have in my pos- 
session as relics of improper shoeing. It is here intro- 
duced as one of the results to the hoof from uneven 
bearing upon the ground surface. The reader will per- 
ceive that one side is short and thick. The inside view 
discloses a fungous growth of the diseased laminse. The 
circulation of the blood was in this case impeded, and 
the natural, free, unrestrained growth destroyed and de- 
formed. This latter fact plainly evidences that the foot 
was unevenly shaped, resulting in heat and inflammation 
and lameness as a final consequence. 

In order to fully explain how these effects are brought 
about, the following diagram, drawn from nature, is re- 
sorted to. 



64 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 18. 

BACK VIEW OF THE BONES, THE LINES A, B AND C, HAVIXG BEEN DRAWN IN 
ORDER TO SHOW THE DEGREE IN WHICH THE FOOT WAS TILTED ON THE 
GROUND SURFACE AND DISPLACED AT THE KNEE. 

D. The foot bone 

E. The navicular or nut Done. 

F. The lower small pastern bone. 

G. The upper large pastern bone. 
H, H. The sesamoid bones. 

I, I. The cannon bone. 
K, K. The splint bones. 



It will be seen that the bearing surfaces of the foot 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 65 

bone are unevenly placed. The bones, in consequence, 
are tilted from their vertical bearings, and the articula- 
tions of the joints receive an unequal amount of weight. 
In the present subject, the weight was thrown onto the 
outside parts, and the diminution of the blood and syno- 
vial fluids, through their ducts, caused the cartilage of 
the foot bone, on its lowest side, to become ossified, and 
project upward at least two inches above the coronary 
band. 

The epiphysis covering the knee joint had become 
worn entirely away on its side of greatest elevation, and 
the bones, deprived of their protection, had scored their 
surfaces together, until they had the appearance of hav- 
ing been rasped with a coarse file. The splint bone, on 
the inner side of the cannon bone, had grown solidly to 
the substance of that bone, and elongated fully three and 
a quarter inches beyond its normal shape ; indeed, the 
entire bony structure of this specimen had become en- 
larged and distorted fully one-fourth its natural size. 
The connection between things apparently small and 
great interests is effectually illustrated in the present ex- 
ample. 

Suppose that one side of the hoof is allowed to become 
one-quarter of an inch higher than the other, as not un- 
frequently happens from improper paring of the hoof, 
we find, by calculation, that the joint of the knee will 
be greatly thrown out of position. If the width of the 
foot be four inches, and the leg from the knee to the 
ground surface twenty inches, then a displacement ot 



66 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

the foot one-fourth of an inch would displace the knee- 
joint five times as much, namely, one and a quarter 
inches. This horrible displacement effects serious re- 
sults ; the functions of the foot and leg are impaired, and 
their whole structure seriously injured. 




Fig. 19. 

OSSIFIED CARTILAGE. 

A. Body of the coffin bone. 

B. Winged extension or heel. 

C. Ossified cartilage. 

Under this head, I have briefly alluded to the ossifica- 
tion of the lateral cartilages of the foot bone. Heavy 
draught horses are most subject to this disease, but it is not 
confined to them alone. Horses designed for fast work, and 
well-bred carriage horses, are not exempt from its attacks. 
The disease is generally considered incurable. It is not 
possible to convert in the cartilages again the natural prop- 
erties when they once have been destroyed. The symptoms 
of the change from cartilage into bone is an enlarge- 
ment of the back part of the coronet and heel. I have 
said that the cartilages are soft and elastic. When they 
become ossified, however, or are in process of change, 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 67 

they will be found hard, bony, and unyielding. By 
grasping the foot, just above the coronet, they may 
readily be felt. Though lameness is not always present, 
more or less stiffness and soreness is concomitant upon 
this disease. In shoeing for this disease, follow the di- 
rections given for a perfect foot. It will hardly be pos- 
sible that the foot can be straightened and leveled com- 
pletely until two or three shoeings. The shoe seen in 
Fig. 14 is to be applied, but the nailing is to be carried 
forward to the quarters instead of being at the heels. 
An application of cold water on the coronet will assist in 
the new growth of the horn. 




Fig. 20. 

A HOOF BADLT CONTRACTED, PREPARED IN THE COMMON WAY, IN WHICH THE 
BARS AND PROG ARE GREATLY REMOVED, THE HEELS OPENED, AND THE 
SOLE DEPRIVED OF ITS HARD SORFACE BY BURNING. (Compare with 

perfect hoof, Fig. 7.) 



68 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

This is another of the morbid specimens, resulting 
from improper methods of preparing • the foot and 
shoeing it. I have shown that the frog in a natural 
foot divides it into two equal parts, but in the present 
instance it is seen that the frog is no longer a right 
dividing line, almost two-thirds of the hoof being cast 
on one side. The foot has contracted badly, evidently 
by having the frog and bars cut away, and the foot 
hardened and dried in fitting the shoe hot. The spots 
indicated in the sole are the effects of burning. The 
frog shows signs of disease, and the inner spur was 
wasted entirely away. 




Fig. 21. 

HOOF OF A DRAUGHT HORSE FROM WHICH FIG. 20 WAS DRAWN, SHOWING 
THE DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS OF BURNING AND CLIPPING IN THE BADLY 
CONTRACTED HEELS, AND THE SPUR ON ITS INNER SURFACE. 

A. Spur on the horny laminae. 

On the internal surface of the crust, at the toe, there 
was found the spur in the laminse shown in the above fig- 
ure, which extended from the inner sole up to the top 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 69 

edge of the coronary, the coffin bone having wasted away 
in the front part, and the spur imbedding itself against 
it. From hardness and dryness in the growth of the 
hoof the crust had become very shallow from coronet to 
ground surface. Dress the foot as to make it conform 
as near as possible to Fig. 7, and follow the directions 
given for that purpose. It will be found impossible to 
straighten the foot at once, as the growth proceeds from 
the coronet. For draught horses, if toe and heel calks are 
required, use shoe, Fig. 14, and nail at the quarters. Re- 
lieve the pressure around the toe. File or rasp the out- 
side crust in front from coronet to ground surface, as 
that will tend to release the internal structure from 
pressure. Apply the cold water, as recommended in 
laminitis, for the purpose of stimulating a new growth. 

Contraction. 

Contraction is almost always the result of improper 
shoeing and mismanagement of the foot. By paring the 
frog and destroying the bars, removing the sole and 
opening up the heel, the foot becomes dry and hard, 
from which contraction is inevitably superinduced. It 
may also be produced by a wound given to the foot in 
picking up a nail, etc., as well as by an overgrowth of 
horn at the heel, whereby the hoof loses its elastic prop- 
erties, and becomes hard and dry. Horses so affected 
are more liable to stumble and cut themselves than 
would otherwise be the case. It is not difficult of cure 
when the proper method is observed in shoeing. 



70 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 22. 

A, A. Line indicating the right ground surface of the foot, in 
order to give the foot its proper degree of obliquity. 

B. Under or superfluous horn at toe and heel, which should 
have been removed. 

This specimen represents the effects of contraction by 
having the crust grow too deep at the heel, wiring in 
until the bars and spur of the frog were raised to a level 
with the coronary band. The coffin bone was thus 
raised at the posterior part, and tilted or pressed forward 
against the front of the crust, bruising the sensitive 
laminae, producing lameness in the toe. 

In shoeing a foot of this description, open the heel 
and weaken it on both sides at the commissures, as thin 
as safety will permit; keep pressure off the toe ; file or 
rasp the front part, to give greater freedom to the heel. 
The nails are to be driven, so as to take a low, short, 
thick hold and a steel shoe, as shown in Fig. 23, is 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 71 

recommended to be used when the heels are much 
narrowed in. It will materially aid in their expansion. 




Fig. 23. 

STEE^ SHOE FOB CONTRACTED HEELS. 

A, A. Mortises in the toe, by which the shoe is permitted to 
yield the required spring at the heels. 

B, Key by which the heels are clasped until after it is nailed 
on the foot. 

C, C. Holes or eyelets into which the key is inserted in the act 
of nailing. 

It is necessary, before the shoe is applied, to spring it 
together at the extremities of the branches, fastening it 
in this way by means of the key being placed in the in- 
sertions of the shoe. After nailing, the key is to be 
withdrawn, when the shoe will spring back at the heel, 
and, gradually opening, will assist nature in the expan- 
sion of the foot. In many cases, the three-quarter shoe 
may be applied for one or two shoeings ; though, if the 



72 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

roads are hard, there may be danger in longer using this 
shoe, as it exposes the horse to the liability of footsore- 
ness. Cold water may be used in preserving the hoof 
moist and flexible, thus assisting the new growth. 

Thrush. 

This disease is dependent on an inflammation in the 
sensitive frog, which, when it attacks the fore feet, is 
generally caused by a contraction of the crust at the 
quarters or heels. When the inflammation is resolved, 
it terminates in the discharge of a peculiarly offensive 
matter from the cleft of the horny frog, which part 
usually becomes soft and rotten, and the whole foot 
tender and sore. The discharge generally diminishes the 
inflammation, and may be considered as an effort of na- 
ture to cure the internal disease, thus preventing it from 
becoming so considerable as it otherwise would. When 
the discharge has existed for some time, by stopping it 
hastily we frequently produce inflammation and swelling 
of the legs. This only shows that it is necessary, in the 
first place, to remove the cause of the disease, since, if 
neglected, it sometimes extends to other parts of the 
foot, or degenerates into a more dangerous disease, 
called canker. With this view, in attempting to cure 
this disease, the toe is to be kept short and weakened in 
front from coronet to ground surface ; and, in the appli- 
cation of the shoe, keep the pressure off the toe, to 
allow freer expansion at the heel, and the hoof kept as 
pliant as possible ; if the heel be dry and inflexible, it is 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 73 

well to free the expausion by weakening it, as much as 
can be safely borne, by paring a groove in the commis- 
sures from the heel to the point of the frog, as well as 
by opening up the heel and lowering it. When the frog 
is much pared away or shrunken, it will be advisable to 
apply a thin-heeled shoe or draw down to a three-quarter 
tip. If the horse flinches, however, or if the frog shows 
signs of soreness, it is a good practice to place a piece 
of leather between the back part of the shoe and the 
foot, it being nailed securely on with the shoe, and ex- 
tending with the shoe well back on the heel, that too 
much pressure on the unsound parts may be avoided. 
When, by this method, we have succeeded in removing, 
in some measure, the compression and consequent in- 
flammation of the sensitive frog, a dressing is some- 
times required to subdue any inflammation that may 
exist, it is advisable to apply some dressing to the 
sore or cavity in the frog, which will render that part 
secure against any irritation which might arise from for- 
eign particles of dirt and sand. The salve elsewhere 
described may be used on these occasions until the in- 
flammation leaves the sensitive frog. With respect to 
those thrushes that attack the hind feet, independently 
of the above cause, they are mostly attributed to damp, 
nasty stables, or to animals standing in foul litter. The 
treatment required is the simple and easy one of avoid- 
ing the cause*aud keeping the feet clean. 



74 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

Canker. 

The canker is, I believe, a local disease, .that fre- 
quently arises froni a thrush, and most commonly at- 
tacks the front feet. It consists at first of an ulcerous 
sore in the frog, where the inflammation of the part is 
considerable, becoming very soft and rotten, with a dis- 
charge of purulent matter. The disease, by early atten- 
tion, might be readily cured, but if it continues its 
ravages, it frequently destroys the horny frog, and ex- 
tends to the sole and other parts of the foot, even to the 
coffin bone and laminated structure, when it is almost 
impossible to disperse the genuine canker. 

Scratches 

Is a disease which attacks the heels, consisting in an in- 
flammation, swelling, and consequent, chapping dis- 
charge of foetid matter, most commonly occasioned 
either by inflammation in the foot, want of exercise, or 
by neglect in cleaning and drying the heels carefully. 
In cases of this kind, exercise is essentially necessary, 
to be assisted by a few applications of my foot salve and 
careful grooming. In inveterate cases, where the disease 
appears to have become habitual, the eruption is known 
as grease, and there will be more difficulty in its re- 
moval, though the same treatment, generous dieting, 
good grooming, and regular exercise will tend to re- 
cover it. 

For sores like the preceding kinds, make applications 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 75 

of my foot salve. When the frog is diseased, saturate 
with it a piece of white cotton ; press it into the opening 
in the cleft until it is well filled. The outer surface of 
the affected parts may be then given a slight coating, to 
protect the diseased portion from foreign particles of dirt. 

Split Toe. 

The horse's hoof which I touched upon in the begin- 
ning of this book is so constructed that any exertion may 
be best carried on by a given elasticity from the quarters 
quite to the point of the toe. Should the natural con- 
ditions of the foot be altered, however, by being deprived 
of sufficient moisture to preserve in it that degree of com- 
bined toughness and flexibility, the foot loses its power 
to yield to pressure and return, and when force sufficient 
to overcome its resistance is exerted, the hoof, no longer 
capable of springing to it, suddenlj' gives way by splitting. 

This breakage occurs wherever the strain is the great- 
est : — at either of the sides from the quarters to the heel, or 
directly through the middle of the hoof in front. 

The condition generally present, then, in the splitting 
of the horny hoof, is a hard, dry brittleness, and this may 
arise in a variety of causes. Hot fitting on of shoes, as 
well as clipping, high toes and heels on shoes which pre- 
vent the frog from coming in contact with the ground, high 
heels on foot or shoe, flat feet and long toes on draught 
horses, and the paring aw r ay of the frog, sole, bars, and heel, 
whereby the foot becomes contracted, are prolific sources 
for bringing the hoof into the above-mentioned state. 



76 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

Any horse whose feet are thus placed is exposed to 
fracture either on their anterior or lateral surfaces. With 
these conditions toe-crack is produced by the foot acquir- 
ing an uneven ground surface, and being thrown into an 
unnatural or forced position. If the heel of the foot, 
through ignorance or neglect, is suffered to grow to an 
unusual height, the pressure and thrust of the coffin 
bone against the comparatively thin crust will almost 
surely result in fracturing it in front. A peculiar acci- 
dent, to which horses are sometimes liable, will also pro- 
duce the same result. When a horse, being shod with 
heel calkins, overreaches himself, that is treads on his 
hoof with another foot, and bruises the coronet or crust, 
the crease thus made oftentimes extends itself until the 
crust is entirely split. 

Toe-cracks most generally attack the feet of heavy 
draught horses, doubtless owing to the coarse method ot 
applying their shoes, as well as a greater stress being- 
placed upon their toes than upon those of other horses 
in the exertions of drawing heavy loads. 

In treating this disease, the first care must be to thor- 
oughly cleanse the foot, after which the crack must be 
pared out smoothly, on either side, as deep as the horn}' 
substance extends, thus widening the crevice so as to 
prevent, all friction between the separated parts of the 
wall. Pressure must be taken entirely off the toe, and 
a groove, as in the accompanying figure, should be cut 
into the bottom of the crust at the toe 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 77 




Fig. 24. 

SHOWING THE HOOF PROTERLY DRESSED FOR SPLIT HOOF. 

Having done this, if the foot be contracted at the 
heel, pare it to a level. The toe of the foot is then in 
turn to be shortened and the heel weakened by paring- 
out the commissures between the bars and frog as much 
as, in the judgment of the farrier, the foot can safely 
bear. The pattern of shoe represented by Fig. 14, should 
be used upon horses intended for draughting purposes, 
the nails being placed from the front of the quarters back 
toward the heel. The toe calkin being placed well 
back from the toe lightens the stress at the point where 
its weakness is the greatest, and allows of an easier play 
to the foot when in motion. When the split occurs in 
the foot of a general business horse, lower the heel and 
shorten the toe, as much as safety will permit, and thin 



78 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

the heel of the shoe to obtain strong frog-pressure, re- 
moving the pressure around the toe of the foot as before 

directed. 

Quarter Cracks 

are longitudinal fissures in the hoof, occurring near the 
heel. They are generally occasioned by improper shoeing, 
or neglect of the foot ; or by allowing the horse to stand 
on hard floors- for a length of time, or in the overgrowth 
of the crust ; or when the frog, sole, and bars have been 
pared away, and the heels weakened ; burning the foot in 
shoeing, or springing the shoe oft' at the heel, and 
throwing the weight of the horse onto the wings of the 
coflin bone — the hoof becoming dry and brittle — are some 
of the causes which produce a disposition in the hoof to 
contract, which, occurring at a time when it is dry and 
inflexible, results in its lesion or splitting. In speedy 
horses, where the heels are allowed to grow too high, 
the crust loosing its elastic toughness, and becoming 
hard and thickened, there is a liability, by the repeated jar 
of alighting on his heels in violent action, to burst in the 
quarters — the break occurring where the stress falls heav- 
iest, back of the heel, or at either or on both sides. 

In paring a foot of this kind, reduce the crust, espec- 
ially at the heel, as much as the safety of the foot will 
permit. The next object is to remove the contractile 
disposition in the hoof, by rasping it at the quarters until 
an appearance of serum, after which let the crack be 
opened on both sides, with a drawing knife, so that fric- 
tion of the fractured parts may be avoided. Then rasp or 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 79 

cut out the bottom of that quarter which is cracked, so 
that no part of it may bear upon the shoe. After the 
wall has been lowered, should the frog project below the 
bottom of the foot, pare it flat. By so doing, the frog 
will be aided in growing wider, and assist the foot in ex- 
panding. When the cracks occur well back at the heels, 
I sometimes find it necessary to protect the weak parts 
from the violence of concussion, by applying the bar 
shoe. Commence thinning the shoe at the center of the 
quarters, carrying it off both toward the heel and toward 
the toe, having the shoe light and the bar good and 
wide, to obtain strong frog pressure. When the cracks 
occur opposite the wings of the coffin bone, level the 
foot and shorten the toe as much as can be conveniently 
done. If the crack occurs on one side only, use the 
shoe shown by Fig. 25, allowing for strong frog pressure. 



80 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



Fig. 25. 

A HOOF PROPERLY SHOD FOR THE CURE OF A QUARTER CRACK, THE SHOE 
BEING WELL BEVELED AT THE TOE, AND CUT OFF IN THE BRANCH, FOR- 
WARD OF THE SEAT OF LAMENESS, AT A. 




Fig. 26. 

A SIDE VIEW OF THE FOOT, WITH CRACK OPPOSITE THE WINGS OF THE COFFIN 
BONE (A), PROPERLY DRESSED AND THE SHOE ADJUSTED, THE TOE BE- 
ING ROLLED OR BEVELED, AND THE HEEL PROPERLY CUT FOR THE BEAR- 
INGS AT THE QUARTER. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 81 

If the crack happen on both sides, shoe with a three- 
quarter tip. File or rasp the wall on both sides of the 
crack, from coronet to the ground surface, as thin as 
safety will permit. If toe and heel calkins are required, 
apply the four-calkin shoe, well rolled on the ground 
surface. If the foot be sore and tender, my foot salve 
may be used with advantage, by warming and saturat- 
ing with it a pledgit of cotton, and applying it to the 
affected parts. The new growth may also be stimulated 
by keeping the hoof moist with cold-water bandages. 
Remove the shoes every three weeks, in order to prevent 
an excessive growth of horn. By following these in- 
structions, this form of disease may be easily cured, and 
the horse regularly worked. 

Corns. 

There are several forms in which these troublesome 
growths manifest themselves, though their cause and lo- 
cation is generally the same. 

The seat of corns is always in the sole of the foot, or 
its lower connection with the wall in the posterior por- 
tion of the hoof, at or in the angle made by the wall in 
its return to form the bars. 

The primary cause of all corns in the horse's foot is 
an uneven ground surface, resulting either from the im- 
proper leveling of the foot by the farrier or its previous 
neglect. Let the foot always be pared level, and the 
shoe properly adjusted to the wall, and corns will find 
no abiding place in feet possessed of these conditions. 



82 SCIENTIFIC HOKSESHOEING. 

Hard corns are a fungoid growth upon the inner sole, 
at its junction with the horny laminae, and lie beneath, 
as well as at the side and rear of the foot hone. This 
substance bears some resemblance and is analogous to 
the corn of the human subject, being a thickened de- 
posit of a kind of hard skin, and, from its crowding 
into the sensitive surfaces, the source of so much trouble 
and pain. The corn may be generated by severe con- 
tusions upon the inner sole, but it generally arises from 
a lateral compression of the horny hoof inward upon the 
sensitive parts. 

The vertical pressure of the horse's weight upon the 
foot bone is oftentimes so severe, and its winged extrem- 
ities are imposed down upon the underlying membrane 
and sensitive sole so suddenly and forcibly as to bruise 
them against the horny sole or shoe without. The bruise 
thus established develops the wet or sappy corn, which 
consists of an effusion of blood or serum into the pores 
of the horn, marking its location by leaving a stain upon 
the outer sole. "When the stain appears dark, and is 
easily removed by paring away, the corn is old and 
working out, but when the stain appears bright and 
ruddy, by penetrating further into the horn, the corn is 
new, and needs attention. These corns may be aggra- 
vated by additional injury, and terminate in a more se- 
rious form, known as the suppurative, in which case the 
sensitiveness will be greatly increased, causing intense 
pain, and, as a necessary consequence, acute lameness, or 
finally resulting in laying the foundation for a quittor. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 83 

Tn preparing the foot for the shoe, if the horn should 
exhibit signs of moisture or discolorization, caused by 
the exudation of a sappy or wet corn, open the center of 
the part indicated, and gradually remove the sole, until 
the foreign matter is released. The foot must next be 
dressed down until it acquires a perfectly level basis. 
For draught horses, let the toe be shortened and the 
heels lowered : apply a shoe with toe and heel calkins, 
the toe calkin to be set well back from the front of the 
shoe, as seen in Fig. 14. Let the shoe rest easily on the 
heel and quarters as, by springing it off at the heel the 
friction between the foot and the shoe would have a 
tendency to irritate and bruise the sole : nail in the quar- 
ters and relieve the pressure at the toe. For horses of 
general business or road purposes, pare the foot as low 
down as safety will admit, shorten the toe, and cut the 
shoe off on the side in front of the corn, as seen in Figs. 
25 and 26 ; but if the corn be established on both sides, 
shoe with a three-quarter tip, in order that the shoe may 
not come as far back as the affected parts. After such, 
apply my foot salve to the wound, as well as a cold water 
bandage to the coronet, and soon all soreness will have 

disappeared. 

Navicular Disease. 

The navicular bone, from its position in the center of 
the foot, and the important protection which it receives 
from the surrounding surfaces, is seldom visited by dis- 
ease or disturbed by accident. It is protected at either 
end by the wall and cartilages, on its upper side by the 



84 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

lower pastern bone, and beneath, where the greatest lia- 
bility to accident rests, the sole, the outer and inner 
frogs, and the flexor tendon, guard it against injury. 

Protected thus, it is almost an impossibility for it to 
become bruised or otherwise injured by any external in- 
fluence ; but should the frog and sole be cut thin or 
greatly pared away, and the horse sent pounding along 
over cobbled streets or uneven roads, the foot no longer 
affording adequate protection to the navicular bone, the 
sensitive frog and sole will become bruised, and inflam- 
mation and acute pain will then inevitably result. 

In this disease the flexor tendon becomes ulcerated 
where it slides over the under face of the navicular bone, 
and the severe pain experienced is from the play of the 
tendon over the rough diseased portion of that bone. 
This disease, once contracted, is incurable : a great deal 
may be done, however, to ease the animal. Two-thirds 
of the cases of this malady, I believe, are caused by im- 
properly dressing the foot, cutting the frog away, weak- 
ening the bars, and thinning the sole; and then, driving 
over uneven roads provoking inflammation in the tissues 
and membranes of the foot, which finally communicates 
itself to the bones and their attachments with one an- 
other. 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 



85 





I ■■■■■I 

A 

Fig. 27. 

A HOOF, SHOWING THE EXTERNAL CHARACTER OF NAVICULAR DISEASE. 

A, A. Base or ground line over the center of the quarters. 

B, B. Upper edge of the coronet. 

C, C. Falling in of the hoof opposite the seat of disease. 

(The white line across the foot indicates the superfluous growth of 
the hoof, and the extent to which it should be reduced.) 

The accompanying figure represents a back view of a 
hoof affected with the navicular disease, and shows the 
shrinkage of the outer wall upon the living parts of the 
foot immediately below the coronary band, crowding the 
cartilages in and stopping in a measure the circulation, the 
foot becoming dry and hard, and the wall thick and deep. 
The white line across the heel shows where the foot 
should be reduced to be placed on its proper angle. 

In dressing the foot thus affected, pare it low as safety 
will permit, and file or rasp the outer wall from back of 
the quarters to the heel from coronet to the ground sur- 
face, weakening it until the appearance of serum, nar- 
rowing the foot on the ground surface, and thus reliev- 
ing the pressure on the sentitive parts. 



86 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

For shoeing a horse affected in this manner, a shoe 
such as is represented in Fig. 28 must be used. 




Fig. 28. 

SHOE FOR NAVICULAR DISEASE, DESIGNED BY DR. G. W. BOWLER, V. S. 

A. Plate welded on the shoe over the seat of navicular disease. 

B. Roll or bevel at the toe. 

I have used this shoe with satisfactory results. It 
can be easily made, being of the same thickness iu 
both branches from the heel to the center of the 
quarters; in front of the quarters it is gradually thinned, 
and at the toe it is rolled, as indicated at B. 

After the shoe is prepared for the foot, a thin plate of 
steel must be welded on level with the face of the shoe, 
as represented at A. The plate being placed directly 
over the seat of the disease, will protect the affected 
parts from any evil results of severe concussion. The 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 87 

bar thus placed must not bear upon the frog, as frog 
pressure would have a tendency to aggravate the disease. 
An open space of considerable depth must be suffered 
to exist between the plate and the foot, sufficient to per- 
mit the removal of dirt, etc., which may secrete itself. 
By having the shoe rolled in front of the quarters to 
the toe, the horse will get over the toe without much 
strain. The shoes should extend as well back at the heel 
as can be safely worn. 

Raised Coronet. 

This species of disease implies a violent alteration of 
the coronary band at the heel ; consequent upon either 
side of the heel being uneven on the ground surface. 
This position of the hoof is fully shown in Fig. 29. 




Fig. 29. 

STATE OF A HOOF IN RAISED CORONET. 

A> A, Line of ground surface. 

B. Inferior edge of raised heel. 

C. C. Difference in height of the sides of the heel indicated at 
the coronet. 

D. Inner spur twisted and deformed. 

This complaint arises from mismanagement of the foot, 



88 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

and its continuance is owing to indifferent shoeing. In 
slight cases, when a horse is let run at grass without 
shoes, it will generally be found sufficient to effect a cure. 
In obstinate cases, however, or when the horse travels or 
works regularly, recourse must be had to a careful plan 
dressing the foot and shoeing it. 

In such cases, in order to restore the foot to its natural 
healthy state, the mode of obtaining levels we have 
pointed out must be attended to. The lower part of the 
heel is then to be reduced, but the foot on this side must 
otherwise be carefully preserved, that it may be suffi- 
ciently firm to make up for the deficiency of the full 
heel. On the other hand, the raised or twisted side must 
be weakened as much as can be conveniently done, so that 
it will readily yield to pressure ; the sole and bar being 
carefully thinned, gradually thinning the paring as the 
toe is approached. The shoe which is applied should be 
cut off on the side where the crust turns up, that that 
part may not be exposed to any pressure from it. 

If the shoe is applied in the manner indicated, the 
nails being placed in the quarter of the low side, and 
stopped at the toe of the raised side, the crust on that 
side, it is observed, will be kept at a considerable dis- 
tance from the ground. 

The flexibility which the horn possesses, therefore,'al- 
lowing it to yield in a small degree whenever the horse's 
weight is thrown upon it, gradually restores the foot to 
its natural condition, without the liability of farther 
pain. Whenever the hoof appears to be too dry and 



DISEASES OP THE FOOT. 89 

strong, or to have lost its pliancy, it may be kept moist 
by applying several folds of flannel round the coronet 
constantly wetted. 

Defective Ankle Joints. 

The catalogue of diseases, defects and deformities in 
the feet of horses have by this time, the reader will per- 
ceive, grown to a considerable length. In tracing them 
to their small beginnings, we find a striking instance of 
the serious results springing from apparently so trifling 
a cause as improper shoeing. The weakness peculiar to 
some horses in their hind ankle joint next suggests itself. 
This troublesome affection, in many cases, arises from 
the over-taxation of the upper pastern joints during colt- 
hood, and, again, from wearing shoes having high toes 
and heels, or from hereditary influences. This defect is 
found to be more prevalent among speedy horses and 
among horses having long shanks than those of any 
other kind. Horses so affected do not always go lame, 
though they are apt to be less sure footed, resulting from 
the extensor muscle being weakened and unable to pre- 
vent the ankle from knuckling when the horse elevates 
his foot. As fever and inflammation frequently are pre- 
sent, accompanied by an enlargement of the ankle-band- 
age, it will prove beneficial to bathe or bandage the parts 
with cold water. In slight cases, a blister may be of 
probable service ; but, when of longer standing, the ac- 
tual . cautery will also be necessary. After such an 
operation, however, the horse should be permitted to 



90 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

range in pasture for three or four months, until the sore- 
ness is gone and the ligaments strong again. A cure 
may be thus effected, but hard work may bring a relapse 
by having high toes and heels on the shoes. 

In this way too, proper methods of shoeing may bring 
relief and sometimes effect a cure. These will not be 
uniformly successful, however, but they must be care- 
fully employed that no impediment to speed may exist. 
In preparing the foot for the reception of a shoe appli- 
cable to the disease in question, it should be pared level, 
leaving the frog and bars intact, and having the toe 
shortened as well as can be safely borne. The form of 
shoe necessary to be recommended in this case is indi- 
cated in Fie:. 30. 




Fig. 30. 

SHOE FOR KNCCKUXG. 



It should be made of steel and quite thin and light, in 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 91 

order that the horse may have his foot as close to the 
ground as possible, as well as to receive the benefit of 
strong frog-pressure. The shoe must be plain, without 
calkins, and well beveled on the ground surface at the 
toe, that the foot may slide over without straining the 
parts affected. 

The Knee Sprung Horse. 

The exact cause of this disease has never been clearly 
made out, it generally appears as if the ligaments and 
bandages of the knee had become strained and en- 
larged, in which also the front and back sinews may be- 
come involved by over-exertion of those parts, when the 
bones of the knee-joint being no longer properly retained 
in their places, become bulged or sprung forward. 

Young horses subjected to an excess of hard pulling 
before they are seasoned or matured, are most liable to 
injure their knees in this manner. Care should there- 
fore be taken in working them that their limbs are not 
over-tasked while under the age of seven years. 

Horses employed in constant "up hill " work, where 
the stress upon the knee is continued and severe, or by 
suffering them to stand in stalls where the fall is consid- 
erable and the floor hard, creating unnecessary exertion 
iu the muscles of the leg, and keeping the ligaments 
constantly in a tense state, would expose them to a de- 
formity in their knees, by their leaning or bowing out in 
consequence of the ligaments and tendons becoming weak- 
ened. When the proper angle of the foot is destroyed, as 



92 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

is most, usually produced by improper shoeing ; such as 
having high toes and low heels, or sore heels, which cause 
a constant leaning forward on the knees to relieve the press- 
nre; or should the foot even be properly pared, and the 
shoe then applied be thick at the toe or have high toe- 
calks — the beels being low — the effect of always ascend- 
ing would be the same, and result in the malformation 
of which we treat. 

When the disease becomes chronic, and the ligaments 
and tendons so much relaxed as to be no longer able to 
respond to the treatment, a radical cure may be impossi- 
ble ; but, if taken in time, and the foot properly dressed 
and shod, the disease can be cured. 

In dressing for this disease, pare the foot level and 
lower it to its proper angle, having in mind the direc- 
tions given under that head. The shoe should be narrow 
in the web and as light as can be safely worn, being also 
well concaved on the ground surface, and adjusted as 
far back at the heels as the safety of the foot may seem 
to require. A style of the scoop-toed shoe or the scoop- 
toed rolling-motion shoe (Figs. 40 and 46) should be 
used, though, if toe and heel calkins are necessary, use 
the four-calkin shoe (Fig. 45). Either of these patterns, 
by shortening the ground surface at the toe and strength- 
ening the knee when the horse is moving forward, will re- 
lieve the strain and enable him the better to pass his feet 
over uneven ground surface, which is sometimes the cause 
of twisting and straining the already injured parts. An- 
other means of furthering a cure, is to feed the horse 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 93 

from the ground. This will have the effect of throwing 
the animal's weight more directly over his limbs, and 
thus assist nature, in a manner, to retrench the enlarge- 
ment in the knee bandages. 

Curb. 

A curb consists in an inflammation and swelling of the 
posterior portion of the hock joint, accompanied with 
considerable heat and pain, and often by lameness. The 
cause of this is an accident resulting to the ligaments in 
and around the hock, and is produced by such exertions 
as prancing and leaping, and galloping over uneven 
ground surfaces, etc. The peculiar conformation of 
some horses renders them more likely to be attended by 
curbs than others ; but, as it is always the result of over- 
taxation, w T hich will not admit of much labor in the 
part, it should be remedied as soon as possible. When 
the soreness is considerable, nothing but blisters can do 
any good, and even these w r ill be ineffectual, unless the 
horse is given a necessary amount of rest. Cold water 
is useful in dressing the parts, when inflammation is 
present. In a moderate state, a properly strong blister 
is generally sufficient to effect a cure; but, unless the 
swelling is completely removed, repeated blistering will 
be requisite. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to 
fire and blister the affected parts, in order to effect a per- 
manent cure. After firing and blistering, a considerable 
time at rest will be necessary to strengthen the parts, be- 
fore working them. 



94 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

In getting the foot ready for the shoe, pare it low and 
level, and shorten up the toe as much as can be con- 
veniently done. After such preparations, adjust the 
shoe represented in Fig. 45. 

Spavin. 

This disease takes its name from an enlargement of 
the inner side of the hock, and appears under two forms, 
which are denominated the bone and the blood or bog 
spavin. From whatever cause bone spavin may proceed, 
it consists in a bony excrescence about the hock joint, 
and generally occasions lameness. It can not be treated 
with uniform success, for it often proves very obstinate, 
and not infrequently incurable. By an early application 
of the proper remedies, however, I believe it will gener- 
ally be removed. This complaint, in its incipient state, 
may be discovered by an unusual heat or tenderness on 
the hock joint, accompanied with a touch of lameuess. 
At this period of the disease, a blister will generally 
prove successful ; but, when of longer standing, and the 
swelling and lameness continue, it will be necessary to 
apply to the actual cautery. This operation, however, 
must never be performed while any inflammation re- 
mains. It will be advisable, also, to turn the horse loose, 
and let him enjoy this kind of rest for a considerable 
time. Should the swelling continue, notwithstanding 
these remedies have been carefully employed, the injury 
is obviously incurable. 

Bog spavin is a dropsical condition of the joint, which 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 95 

becomes so either from a loss of power in the absorbent 
vessels, or an increased action of the vessels which form 
the joint oil. Perhaps both these causes may concur in 
producing the disease, the more remote cause of which 
is generally hard work — that is, too great or too long 
continued motion of the joint. 

The bog spavin does not so often occasion lameness as 
the other, except when a horse is worked hard, which 
generally causes a temporary lameness removable by 
rest ; but it does not always admit of a radical cure, for 
though blistering is of likely service it generally returns 
with any considerable exertion. Much may be done, 
however, to assist the horse in his movements, by 
properly paring the foot, and suitably adjusting a shoe 
such as shown in Fig. 45. 

Soreness of the flexor tendon. 

As 'its name implies, this complaint is an injury to the 
back sinew, from the effects of over-taxation. Work- 
horses are liable to become so affected, though it occurs 
more frequently in the running and trotting horses, by 
reason of their immense strides, the force of which has 
a tendency — when prolonged to a certain extent — to cause 
the tendons to become swollen and inflamed. 

For horses suffering with sore tendons, the four-calkin 
rolling-motion shoe will be found a successful remedy. 



96 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 31. 

FOUR-CALKIN FRONT FOOT SHOE, TO BE USED FOR THE RELIEF OF SORE- 
NESS IN THE FLEXOR TENDON, OR CASES OF QUARTER CRACK, WHERE TOE 
AND HEEL CALKINS ARE REQUIRED, AS WELL AS FOR SORENESS AT THE 
TOE, AND FOR SPLIT FOOT IN FRONT. 



The shoe should extend well back at the heels, the 
calkins being at least one-half inch higher at the heels 
than at the sides of the toe, where it should be well rolled 
on the ground surface, in order that the horse may be 
enabled to "get over" the toe of his foot with but lit- 
tle strain on the flexor tendon. 

I have also found the scoop-toed rolling-motion shoe 
very successful in the cases of trotting and running- 
horses. The feet should always be well leveled and 
straightened, and the toes shortened as much as safety 
will permit. A preliminary application of bandages 
with cold water may be found beneficial. 



FORGING OE CLICKING. 97 



CHAPTER V. 

FORGING OR CLICKING. 



"We have to search for the real cause of the above af- 
fection in the disproportionate construction of the ani- 
mal subject to it. 

Upon examination, it will be found that the fourteenth 
dorsal vertebrae of the horse is, so to speak, the pivot 
upon which his weight is poised, being the axis or 
center of his gravitation. Horses, that forge, are un- 
evenly balanced, and are heavier in the fore than in the 
hind quarters. It is noticed, too, in relation to horses of 
this description, that they are inclined to carry their 
heads downward, and, in proportion as the horse lowers 
his he&d, more weight is added to his front portion, and, 
naturally, the difficulty is augmented. 

Such an affection is not only detrimental to the appear- 
ance of the horse, but it also is a probable source of in- 
jury to him, as well as of annoyance to his owner. To the 
farrier and to him alone belongs the province of remedy- 
ing this difficulty. The foot must first be pared level, 
and the toe well shortened, observing in this proceed- 
ing the tact and judgment previously enjoined. This 
having been done, a light shoe is to be applied to each* 
of the fore feet. The best weight for these shoes I 
have found to be about twelve ounces each. At the ground 



98 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

surface of the toes the shoes should be beveled or rolled, 
and at the heels they should be shortened, for the pur- 
pose of covering as little ground surface as may be. The 
action in front will thereby be quickened. In treating 
the hind feet, they are, as in the case of the fore feet, to 
be pared level and straight. The shoes, however, should 
each be at least five ounces heavier than those of the 
front ones. They should also be made so as to extend 
three-fourths of an inch longer at heels than the foot, 
and turned slightly outward, and raised with heel calk- 
ins, as shown by Fig. 32. 




Fig. 32. 

HIND FOOT SHOE FOR FORGING OR CLICKING. 

The effect of such a shoe will be to retard the action 
of the flexor tendon, in lifting the foot by means of the 
branches being carried beyond the foot and raised with 



FORGING OR CLICKING. 99 

heel calkins. Meanwhile, the fore feet, being corre- 
spondingly increased in their action, all danger of the 
horse forging or clicking is obviated or overcome. 

Speedy cutting. 

This is caused by the horse being unevenly balanced. 
Having more propelling power behind than in front — that 
is, the front feet not being able to get out of the way of 
the hind legs as they pass, the outside of the front foot 
strikes and wounds the inside of the shin bone in the 
hind leg, frequently causing much pain and soreness. It 
is termed speedy cutting, from happening while the horse 
is in rapid motion, such as the trot or gallop. To over- 
come this defect, it is necessary to equalize the different 
actions of the parts by quickening that of the front, and 
slowing that of the hind. This can only be done in shoe- 
ing; shorten the toe of the front foot as much as safety 
will permit, examine the feet as well as the splint bones, 
for, if soreness is present, it would have a tendency to 
retard the action in front. And then apply the scoop- 
toed rolling-motion or the plain rolling-motion shoe, 
which, being rolled in front, will assist the horse in 
getting over the toe of the foot quickly, and thus go 
out of the way of the other parts. In dressing the 
hind feet, lower the heels as much as safety will per- 
mit, keeping the front part of the toe at the natural 
angle, so as to have all the ground surface possible. 
Apply the shoe as seen in Fig. 38. By placing long 
heel calkings at the sides of the heels, or allowing the 



100 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

shoe to extend at least one-half inch longer than the 
heel of the foot, the down action of the flexor tendon 
will be lessened, and, in a relative degree, the quick up 
action of the foot will also be lessened ; also, the weight 
of the shoes to be worn must be determined accurately 
by the driver or proprietor. 

Running horses are more liable to obtain speedy cuts 
than trotting horses ; this is occasioned principally by the 
carrying of weight upon their backs, the weight being 
placed more directly on their front legs than on their 
hind ones. In plating running horses to overcome this 
difficulty, level and straighten the front feet, having the 
heels and frog of an even bearing when the feet are 
placed on the ground ; shoe with thin three-quarter tips, 
beveling the outside of the plate from the ground to the 
sole-bearing surface, so as to obviate the possibility of the 
leg being cut by the shoe in passing. The punishment 
of speedy cutting is oftentimes so severe that the race is 
lost by the horse being unable to withstand it without 
his speed being retarded more or less. 

Ankle, shin, and knee cutting. 

In ankle or shin cutting, it will generally be observed 
that the foot is tilted inward. Cutting often depends on 
weakness or leg weariness, and is liable to happen to 
horses when driven long distances or when they are 
carrying heavy shoes. Contraction and, also, soreness in 
the splint bone will cause a horse to cut, which almost 
always is the result of improper shoeing and bad man- 



FORGING OR CLICKING. 101 

agement of the feet. All can be stopped by properly 
leveling and balancing the foot, and the appliance of a 
suitable shoe. When the position of the foot is faulty, 
it must be obvious that the remedy consists in altering 
its improper position, and straightening it, as much as 
can be, according to the instructions on page 39. 

When the toe is the part which inflicts the wound 
shoe with a diamond-pointed shoe, removing the outer 
wall on both sides of the toe, so as to keep the foot per- 
fectly balanced. 

If the cut is given at the quarter, apply a thin, narrow, 
webbed shoe cut off at the inside toe-nail, the wall being 
lowered and the nail holes being punched straight in- 
clining the nails to grasp a low, short, thick hold to 
avoid cramping the foot ; small nails should always be 
used and care taken that light shoes are used, as a horse 
is then much less liable to interfere. 

When a horse cuts his knees it is advisable to pay par- 
ticular attention to the position of the fore feet to ascer- 
tain what part of the hoof comes into contact. If the 
foot toes out, the quarter will hit the opposite knee. In 
the same manner as in the treatment for ankle hitting, 
the first step must be to get the foot into its natural 
shape. When the quarter inflicts the wound, it should 
be rasped away equally to maintain the proper balance 
of the foot; if the outside can not be taken off enough, 
the shoe should be full to the inside toe. Shoe with as 
light a &hoe as can be safely employed, and strive to ob- 
tain strong frog-pressure. If the horse be observed to 



102 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

hit under the cap of the knee, increase the weight of 
the shoe; the additional momentum thus acquired in the 
motion of the foot will carry it over the point of con- 
tact ; but if the interference be over the knee-cap, alter 
the style of going, by proportionately reducing the 
the weight of the shoe. If the horse hits with the toe, 
shoe with a diamond-pointed shoe, and preserve the poise 
of the foot. 

Ankle cutting behind is caused by the improper bal- 
ancing of the foot, which must be leveled and straight- 
cued. If the horse cuts with the toe, apply the shoe 
shown in Fig. 35. The long calkins at the toe and heel 
will serve as a brace to keep the foot from tilting in. 
If he cuts with either heel or quarters, cut the shoe off 
at the inside toe, and shoe light. The same styles of 
shoes will serve in almost all cases of ankle, shin, or 
knee hitting ; but it not unfrequently happens, however, 
that cases of interference are so confirmed that they 
stubbornly resist all efforts of the smith. Under the 
above treatment, at such times, special kinds of shoes 
will be necessary. 

Elbow and Arm Cutting. 

When a horse has too much freedom in the action of 
the knee of his fore leg, which causes it to bend under 
him, when lifted, in such a manner as to strike and bruise 
the limb, it is called elbow or arm cutting. To over- 
come this difficulty, the heel of the foot should be pared 
as low as it can be safely done. The toe, on the con- 



DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 103 

trary, should be left long. The shoe should be light, for 
the lighter the shoe the less liability there is of the el- 
bow or arm being cut. The web of the shoe should be 
narrow, especially from the quarters to the toe. The shoe 
should be well concaved on its ground surface, from the 
heel to the toe, particularly so in the case of horses 
who cut or hit the arm or elbow with the heel. (It 
may here be observed that the greater number of 
horses cut their elbows with the toe.) 

In some instances, the above method will not produce 
the desired effect. It may then be augmented by a rub- 
ber pad, made to fit the sole of the foot so as to completely 
cover it. The method of doing this is displayed in the 
annexed drawing. The thickness of this pad is to be 
determined by the thickness of the shoe, so that, when 
adjusted, it may be even with the ground surface of the 
shoe. 



104 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 33. 

SnOE PREPARED TO DESTROY THE EP'FECTS OF ARM CUTTING. 

P. The rubber pad, adjusted on the inside edge of shoe. 
S, S. The steel slats retaining the pad in its position beneath the 
shoe. 

Let the slats (S, S) be about the thickness of ordinary 
hoop-iron, five-eighths of an inch in width, or there- 
about, and of sufficient length to extend across the foot 
in front of the frog. Another, similarly made, is to be 
adjusted to the toe. These slats are to be riveted to the 
rubber, after which, when the pad is applied, the ends 
of the slats will find for themselves a hold between the 
shoe and the sole. For convenience, a groove may be 
cut into the rubber, and a slight notch made into the 
outer wall of the foot, for the reception of the slat — the 
plain surface of the pad being exposed. In this fashion 
it may be adjusted and removed at pleasure. lis pur- 



FORGING OR CLICKING. 105 

pose will be to break the force of the blow, when the 
horse is in motion, and prevent its cutting or bruising 
the elbow. 




Fig. 34. 

FRONT FOOT SHOE, FOR EXTREME BAD CASES OF ANKLE, SHIN, OR KNEE 
HITTING. 

I have used a style, such as I here give, in the treat- 
ment of the severest cases of ankle and knee cutting, 
with admirable success. The inside rim of the shoe is 
beveled inwardly to a thin feather edge, beginning at 
the center of the toe marked B, and extending around 
its outside branch to the quarter at A; the shoe from 
the center of the web is beveled outwardly. The effect 
of this will be that when the foot is in the act of spring- 
ing from the ground, the bevel at the toe will force it to 
go over in an oblique and outward direction, thus passing 
the ankle or shin without bruising or cutting it. 



106 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 35. 



[ND FOOT SHOE FOR ANKLE HITTING. 



The foregoing observations are in reference to the 
treatment of either fore or hind feet. The hind feet, 
however, being different in their shape, as well as ac- 
tion, require a separate form of shoe for cases of ex- 
treme stubbornness. In Fig. 35 is an illustration of a 
shoe intended for feet of that description, having a long 
calkin at the heel of the inside branch, and a calkin at- 
tached to the inside curve of the toe. This shoe will ef- 
fectually prevent any thing like an inward dip of the 
foot, and thus render ankle cutting an impossibility or 
a matter of great difficulty, in cases where the horse 
hits with the quarter or heel shoe with a three-quarter 
shoe, the same as directed for front feet. 



GAITING YOUNG HORSES. 107 



CHAPTER VI. 

GAITING YOUNG HORSES. 

It is oftentimes observed that the action of young horses, 
after having been broken to work, is disproportionate, 
the propelling power of their hind legs being in excess 
of that in the front ones. In order to overcome this dif- 
ficulty, and regulate their movements equally, the follow- 
ing method is to be observed : The feet must be leveled and 
straightened, and the toes of the front feet dressed up 
close and short. If the front action is then to be accel- 
erated, very light shoes, well rolled on 1 the ground sur- 
face, and shortened, to avoid unnecessary friction, are to 
be resorted to. The hind feet should also be shod light, 
but long in the heels ; the heels turned outward, and 
calked lengthwise, as shown in Fig. 38. Fit the shoes 
closely to the wall around both sides of the heel, and 
carry them over at the heels, at least one-half of an inch 
longer than the foot — the calks to be about one-fourth of 
an inch high. 

In consequence of these long and calked heels, the 
quick flexing and raising of the foot is, to a certain ex- 
tent, reduced, while the rolling motion of the shoes hav- 
ing the effect of quickening the action in the front 
feet, the movements of both will thus be balanced and 
equalized. In case a light shoe should fail in producing 



108 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

these results, heavier shoes should he used on the hind 
feet. These should be from four to five ounces heavier 
than the forward ones. 

In former years, it was a cruel practice among horse- 
men, in order to shorten and quicken the stride of young 
horses, to drive them over hard roads, until they became 
sore, when, as a natural consequence, their action would 
become shorter and quicker. It was desirable that a more 
humane course be pursued, if possible, in this matter, 
and I sought to find in a proper method of shoeing the 
means necessary to accomplish the desired effect. I aim 
to get the horse over his toe, quickly, which, of course, 
forces him into a more rapid stride, and this is done by 
shortening up both front and hind feet as much as can 
be conveniently done, and the use of a light rolling-mo- 
tion shoe, both in front and behind. If the action is 
balanced, the shoes may be of the same weight all 

round. 

Balancing the action of horses. 

One of the greatest difficulties I have had to contend 
with, has been the balancing of the action of the trot- 
ting horse. Since the requirements of each animal are 
so varied, various methods had to be observed in the 
treatment of them. Some being long, low striders, and 
some high, short striders ; some requiring heavy shoes, 
and some light shoes ; some bar shoes, and some open 
shoes ; some concave shoes on the ground surface ; some 
flat shoes; others rolling-motion shoes, to quicken the 
action in front ; some toe-weight shoes, to lengthen the 



GAITIXG YOUNG HOKSES. 109 

stride ; some long toes, and others short toes. "When 
the action of a horse in front is short, high, and quick, 
it will generally be found that the toe of the foot is too 
short. This can he remedied by lowering the heels as 
much as possible, which will give the foot more to the 
ground, in case the front part of the foot has been filed 
or rasped too short the shoe should be extended over 
and beyond the toe, and thus acquire a proper extent of 
ground surface. The weight of the shoe must be deter- 
mined by the driver or owner as to what is best adapted 
for the horse to carry with ease and safety. 

When the action in front is long and low and stiff- 
kneed, shorten the front part of the foot as much as pos- 
sible. Use the toe-weight shoe — a style of which is shown 
in Fig. 47 — being well rolled on the ground surface in 
front of the quarters to the toe. 

The effects of this shoe will be to allow the horse a 
quickening of the step in motion, imparting, as it were, 
a " down-hill " effect, which, while the weight, being 
greatest at the toe, will necessarily extend the stride. In 
proportion, then, as the knee action is to be increased, 
the roll in the shoe is likewise to be increased. Great 
care must at all times be exercised in leveling and 
straightening the foot, according to the directions given 
for that purpose. 

One of the primary causes in the bad action of horses, 
when driven up to their best speed, is a soreness in the 
foot, caused by improper shoeing. An unlevel bearing 
will, as I have elsewhere shown, twist the foot and im- 



110 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

pair the action of the laminae, or by corn bruises, or by 
under-punching and nailing around the toe, cramping 
the foot and soreing it, by pressure on the sole, or by 
paring the sole thin, and then shoeing with light, thin 
shoes, causing what is termed " foot-scald," or by burn- 
ing the foot, causing it to become hard and dry. An- 
other is by having high heels and short toes, or by destroy- 
ing the proper angle of the foot, by having high toes 
and low heels. 

In dressing the foot for the reception of the shoe, Fig. 
7 will at all times be a guide, unless the foot becomes 
diseased, and nature will then have to be assisted in re- 
storing the foot to its normal condition by other means. 

Much good judgment is required in shoeing the hind 
feet, of the trotting horse, as some have more action in 
those parts than in front. In this latter case, we must 
quicken the action of the fore and retard the action 
of the hind feet, and this can only be done by 
shoeing. By shortening the toes of the front feet, 
and shoeing with the scoop-toed rolling-motion shoe, 
the effect of this will be to lessen the ground sur- 
face — permitting the horse to get over the toe quickly — 
and thus get out of the w T ay of the hind feet. In 
shoeing the hind feet, apply the shoe represented in 
Fig. 38, with the shoe projecting at least one-half inch 
beyond the heel of the foot. The usage of this shoe will 
be to destroy a certain portion of the down action of the 
flexor tendon, and thus overcome, in a proportionate de- 
gree, the quick flexing of the foot. The weight of the 



GAITING YOUNG HOESES. Ill 

shoe must be judged of, according to the necessities of 
the case, some horses requiring more weight behind than 
others, so that their action may be properly balanced. 
A horse with a low action behind can not carry much 
weight attached to his feet, as it would be tiresome for 
him. The labor being performed by the stifle and hip, 
the hock scarcely bending, the shoe should therefore be 
as light as safety of the foot will permit, being well con- 
caved on the ground surface, without heel calkins. An- 
other class of trotting horses, when in violent action, 
will sometimes carry one or both of their hind feet be- 
tween their front feet, producing what is known as forging 
or clicking, and causing them to leave their trot and break 
and run, evidently from the effects of fright. On close 
examination, the defect will be found in the formation of 
the animal. Their stifle generally sets straight, and the 
toes of their hind feet are inclined in. The only way to 
overcome this difficulty is to quicken the action in front. 
For this purpose, the scoop-toe rolling-motion shoe 
should be used, being beveled on the inside and the out- 
side of shoe, from the ground surface to the foot-bearing 
surface, concaving the shoe on the ground surface, 
in order that the hind foot may not strike under the 
toe, when the foot is lifted. By shortening the toe of 
the front foot, it will be assisted in getting over easily, 
and thus pass out of the way of the hind members. 
The shoe on the front feet should be short, so as to 
have as little ground surface as possible. 

In paring and dressing the hind feet, lower the heels 



112 SCIENTIFIC HOKSESHOEING. 

as low as safety will permit, carefully preserving the nat- 
ural angle. 




Fig. 36. 

SIDE WEIGHT SHOE, FOR WIDENING THE ACTION BEHIND. 

A. The line dividing the foot, showing the weight of the shoe, 
cast from the center outward. 

B. The outside or weighted branch — Figs. 1 and 2, pointing to the 
degrees that weight may be added in the web. 

When the shoe requires additional weight to carry the 
foot out, increase the weight in the web of the shoe to 
Fig. 1, and if more weight then is required, increase the 
web toward Fig. 2. If that does not carry the foot out suf- 
ficiently, cut off the inside branch of the shoe in front of the 
first toe nail, punch two nails on the inside arm of the 
branch, and bevel the shoe on the ground surface, around 
the inside toe. In case the inside branch of the shoe is cut 
off, lower the outside of the foot as much as the thickness 



GAITING YOUNG HORSES. 113 

of the shoe requires, to make both sides of the foot level 
from coronet to ground surface. If the above instruc- 
tions are observed, this style of shoe will not fail to pro- 
duce the desired alteration in the style of the animal's 
going. 

Another class of trotting horses is troubled by pass- 
ing one hind foot between the front feet in traveling. On 
examining the stifle and position of the feet when placed on 
the ground, if the stifle stands out and the toes turn out, 
the action of this horse must be wide ; it can not be 
otherwise, as, in springing from the ground, the natural 
sweep of the limb will carry the hind members past the 
fore ones, without touching them. 

There are cases, frequently occurring, where an imper- 
fect action can not be remedied by any kind of shoeing ; 
but, if we closely investigate the matter, we shall find 
that it originates from some other cause. This is some- 
times the case, when caries of the teeth is present, and 
the animal suffering from a continued toothache, inclines 
to lug on the bit to one side, and in such a manner 
that he becomes tangled in his gait and bad in his action. 
If he pulls his head and neck out of the line with his 
body, either to the right or left, the hind foot on that 
side is forced to land between the front feet and legs. 
At other times, it arises solely from the driver's lugging 
heavily on one rein, whereby the animal is thrown out 
of his regular balance, causing his breaking and shying, 
frequently making him unpleasant and unsafe to drive. 



114 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

The teeth must therefore he properly treated to obviate 
these difficulties. 

I have had Dr. R. E. Clark, the celebrated veterinary 
dentist, of 'New York, operate for me, on many occa- 
sions, and with wonderful success. 



THE MULE. 115 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE MULE. 



As this " drudge of all servants " is of a different vari- 
ety of the same species as the horse, his foot also par- 
takes of the difference. Upon examining it, we 'find 
that in front the mule's foot is round and full. From 
the quarters to the heels, however, the difference in its 
shape appears. Instead of inclining at an angle equal 
with the face — as is the case in the horse's hoof at the 
heels — it is nearly perpendicular. 

Care must be taken that the foot does not grow too 
long or too high at the heels or toe, as the outer frog 
would thus be prevented from touching the ground. 
The tendency then would be for the hoof to contract on 
its ground surface. I have seen the walls at the heels 
come together, from coronet to ground surface, until 
the foot was hardly more than half its natural diameter. 
The heels overlapping each other, had crowded the bars 
and frog up out of sight, raising the inner spur and bars 
as high as the coronary band. As the crowding of the bars 
thus necessitated a displacement of the internal struc- 
ture, the coffin bone being raised behind, the weight 
presses it forward against the laminae. The laminae in 
this part being overtasked, soreness and finally lameness 
ensues. 



116 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 

In many instances, the mule is treated for lameness or 
strains, when the proper remedy was to have had his 
feet properly dressed and suitably shod. Do not permit 
the heels to grow to an extreme height ; pare them 
down as much as can be safely done, and reset the shoes 
every three or four weeks ; leave the frog and bars un- 
touched and the heels unopened. 



In shoeing the mule for draughting purposes, toe and 
heel calkins will be required. In such cases, have them 
low, and of the same height, that the foot may be kept 
as close to the ground as possible, and the animal will 
travel with more ease and safety. Let the shoes be ad- 
justed in a manner so as to fit the wall; and to avoid 
the possibility of cramping the foot, use small nails, with 
the nail holes straight punched. 



SHOES USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 117 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SHOES USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 




Fig. 38. 

HIND FOOT SHOE TO BALANCE AND SLOW THE ACTION OF THE TROTTING 
HOKSE. 

This shoe should fit snugly on the foot up to both sides 
of the frog, the heels inclining outward. The shoe be- 
ing longer at the heels than the foot, destroys the down 
action of the flexor tendon, which serves to lessen the 
quick up action. The length at the heels also gives 
more ground surface to the foot, which requires a longer 
interval for the horse to get over his toe. I have used 
this shoe with satisfactory results. 



118 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 39. 

HIND FOOT SHOE FOR TRACK AND ROAD HORSES. 

This shoe is made of steel, and is well-concaved on the 
ground surface. If the horse is a long strider, turn tip 
small heel calkins so rs to serve as a check to the foot 
in landing ; if a short strider, heel calkins are not re- 
quired. Fit the shoe the same length as the foot, as 
shown in this figure, so as not to retard the down action 
of the flexor tendon. By following the above directions 
the speed of the horse will not be retarded. 



SHOES USED FOE SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 119 




Fig. 40. 

SHOE SHOWN OX THE FOOT, THE TOE AND HEEL AT A PROPER ANGLE OF 55°. 

This style is known as the scoop-toed rolling-motion 
shoe, and is used to quicken the action of the horse in 
front, showing the length of the shoe at the heel and the 
roll at the toe, with the nails driven in the quarters. 



120 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 41. 

IMPROVED CENTENNIAL SHOE. 

This shoe is made of steel and is well concaved on the 
ground surface. The bars are made so as to fit upon the 
bars of the foot, and bear weight as the unshod hoof 
does in a state of nature, preventing bruises in the heels 
and quarter cracks. I have tested this shoe on horses 
that were quite sore and lame, the shoe being made of 
cast steel, the bars being sprung down from the heel to 
their points on the ground surface about one-half inch; 
this will soften and mellow the jar. The shoe, being well 
tempered, will allow the bars to spring with the horse's 
weight, and will be found one of the best devices 
possible to soften and relieve the effects of concussion 
when the horse is tender of foot, as well as to quicken 
the actiou in trotting, leaving the frog free and uuim- 



SHOES USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 121 

peded to perform its important functions of cushioning 
the foot and shielding the sensitive parts from injury. 




Fig. 42. 

MODIFIED FORM OF CENTENNIAL SHOE. 

This is a modified form of the shoe preceding, and is 
more easily made, yet embraces the same principle of 
bar-pressure. It can be made from any ordinary flat 
shoe, the wings to be swedgcd out solidly by means of a 
blunt, round, fullering tool, until they extend over the 
bars. This style of shoe I consider to be of especial ad- 
vantage to recover the wiring in of the crust at the 
heels. By following the wall close up to the sides of the 
frog, it obtains strong bar-pressure, and gives the frog 
free access to the ground. If the sole of the foot evinces 
a tendency to be flat and tender, it is quite necessary to 
protect it from injury until it becomes strong. The only 



122 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



way in which this can be done is by adding to the web 
in the shoe. The dotted lines around the inside of the shoe, 
at "A," indicate the increase to be made in the web for 
extreme cases of tender soles. As the sole gradually re- 
news itself and becomes thicker, reduce the width of the 
shoe. In two or three shoeings, the foot will become 
strong, when the narrow-webbed shoe maybe resorted to. 




Fig. 43. 

SHOE FOR DRAUGHT HORSE. 

A. Outside toe. 

This shoe is intended for draught horses. If the horse 
pulls from the outside toe, the outside quarter and heel 
will wire in. To overcome this tendency, I designed 
this style of shoe. Any ordinary shoe may be used, on 
which the toe-piece at " A " maybe welded, which should 
extend over the outside rim of the shoe, say from one- 



SHOES USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 123 

half inch to an inch. Stave up the outside heel of the 
shoe sufficiently to get good broad covering for the nar- 
rowed in heel and quarter. Use the round fullering tool 
to swedge the shoe wide enough to obtain good bar 
pressure. Turn up heels, and weld a calk on the 
outside heel, and fit the shoe snug to the wall up to both 
sides of the frog. 

The effect of the projecting toe-piece is to brace or 
stay the weak part of the ankle and foot, and in two or 
three shoeings the foot will become natural in its move- 
ments, and fairly returned to its normal state. 




Fig. 44. 

HIND FOOT SHOE, TO PREVENT BRUISING OR CALKIN THE CORONET OF THE 
HIND FOOT. 

A. Inside branch showing the heel calking. 

This is often done by horses treading on the coronet 
with either or both heels of their shoes when standing in 



124 



SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



the stall, cutting and bruising it, and oftentimes produc- 
ing serious lameness. When toe and heel calkins are 
required, apply this shoe. 

The inside heel calkin is welded lengthwise on the 
shoe, and set back from the heel fully an inch, the ground 
surface being beveled to a thin edge. If both heel calkins 
are placed on the coronet, weld a side heel on each side 
of the shoe, beveling the heels as before. By so doing, 
all danger of cutting or bruising the coronet is overcome. 
If plain shoes are used, bevel the heels on the ground 
surface, and shoe short. 




Fig. 45. 

HIND FOOT SHOE, DESIGNED FOR CUKB, SPAVIN AND SORE TENDONS. 



This shoe is made as light as can be conveniently worn, 
and extends well back at the heel, the calkins behind be- 
ing slightly higher than the front toe calks. The shoe, 



SHOES USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 125 

being well rolled on the ground surface, will allow the 
horse in his forward movement to get over the toe with 
hut little strain on the affected parts. I have used this 
style of shoe with admirable success. 




Fig. 46. 

FRONT VIEW OF THE SCOOP-TOED ROLLING-MOTION SHOE. 

A, A. Commencement of the scoop on each side of the toe. 

B. The center, where the scoop is greatest. 

This shoe can be readily made. It begins to be grad- 
ually thinned on the face, at A, A, until the center, at 
B, is reached, where, on its inner edge, it should be not 
more than two-thirds its original thickness, clipping deeper 
outward toward the toe, where it should be quite thin. 
The effect of this will be to lessen the ground surface of 
the foot, and quicken the action of the fore legs. This 
shoe will also be found beneficial for horses sore in the 
toes and cords of the leers. 



126 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 47. 

FRONT FOOT SHOE, FOR BALANCING AND SQUARING THE ACTION AND GAIT 
OK HORSES, WHEN INCLINED TO RACK OR PACE AND SHUFFLE. 

By shoeing with this style of shoe, the weight being 
principally in the toe, at the extreme length of the mus- 
cles, the action will be squared and balanced, if properly 
made and applied. In order that the shoe may have the 
desired effect, the quarters must be well concaved from 
the ground surface. In proportion, then, as the weight 
is lessened in the quarters, the toe of the shoe will be 
relatively heavier. This shoe can be used to quicken the 
horse's action, by being rolled on the ground surface. I 
have used it with the most satisfactory results. 



SHOES USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 127 




Fig. 48. 

FRONT FOOT SHOE, KNOWN AS THE "GOLDSMITH MAID BAR SHOE." 

This is applicable for a number of diseases of the foot, 
such as weak and bruised heels, quarter cracks, etc. It 
is also used extensively among trotting horses, the shoes 
being reduced down so light, they serve to keep the shoe 
from spreading on the foot, when the horse is in violent 
action. By having the bar set down below the face of 
the shoe, it serves the same purpose as an open shoe. 
This style of shoe is quite beneficial for long-striding 
horses, as they land mostly on the heels, and by having 
the shoe thinned well back at the heel, it will prevent the 
foot from becoming bruised. Bar shoes may not be used, 
except in violent exercise. I believe an occasional change 
to the open shoe would be beneficial in giving the foot 
more active use of the frog. 



128 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 




Fig. 49. 

HIND FOOT SHOE, FOR HORSES REQUIRING TOE AND HEEL CALKINS. 

A great many horses are in the habit of twisting their 
feet when lifting them from the ground, which makes 
them liable to interfere and strain their ankles or foot 
joints. Some will twist their foot in ; others will twist 
it out. By applying the shoe seen in the diagram, if the 
twist of the foot is in, Jet the toe project over the out- 
side ; if vice versa, change the projection of the toe to 
the inside. This style of shoe will prevent the twisting 
of the foot, and enable the horse to get straight over 
the foot in front. 



SHOES USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. 



129 




Fig. 50. 

FRONT FOOT SHOE, TO PREVENT PADDLING. 

A. The outside projection on the toe. 

This defect most usually occurs in young horses. When 
taken up and broken to harness, some are very awk- 
ward, and acquire the habit known to horsemen as " pad- 
dling," in picking up their feet when in motion, inclining 
their front feet outward. This movement is awkward, 
and retards the animal's speed. By applying the shoe 
in the annexed figure, their feet will be prevented from 
twisting when being lifted from the ground, and made 
to go straight over at the toe, and thus paddling will be 
prevented. I have found this shoe useful in stopping 
ankle and shin tapping — which generally causes splints. 
This shoe is easily and quickly made by taking a piece 
of iron the same thickness as the shoe, and welding it 
on the outside of the toe, as seen at A in the cut. 



130 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



MIXTURE FOR FOOT SALVE. 

Shoemakers' wax \ lb. 

Beeswax \ lb. 

Mutton tallow \ lb. 

To be melted over a gentle fire, and warmed previous 
to any application. 

Adapted for the treatment of thrush, canker, scratches, 
quarter crack, and for all sores and wounds in the 
foot. . 

Whenever the foot is wounded by a nail, it is neces- 
sary immediately to open, by means of a drawing-knife, 
the orifice in the horny matter, as deep as the wound 
extends, that it may heal from the bottom. The salve 
should then be poured into the wound until the cavity is 
filled, the foot being held in such a manner that the 
salve may cool and a quantity remain there, the stimu- 
lus of which will soon bring on a healthy growth. 



APPENDIX. 

OBSERVATIONS ON THE TRAINING AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF 
FARRIERS. 

I can conceive nothing more painful to a humane and 
thoughful mind than the intense, long-continued, and 
helpless suffering that the unskillful or careless farrier so 
often inflicts on man's patient, mute, and, therefore, un- 
complaining friend, the horse, by sending a nail tearing 
through the keenly sensitive nerves of his foot, and in so 
many other ways, that a perusal of the foregoing pages 
will enable one to understand. A human being with a 
nail in his foot can go to a physician, or at least can make 
the trouble known, and have something done to relieve 
the pain. If a gravel-stone, or other hard substance, gets 
into his shoe, he can remove it. If the shoe pinches, or 
otherwise hurts, it can be laid aside, and the foot rested, 
or another shoe put on in its place. Now, suppose that, 
without the power of speech, without the ability to re- 
move this shoe, some other being would thus injure a 
man's foot, would force on a shoe too tight, or otherwise 
badly fitting and hurtful, and should so fasten it that it 
could not be removed, what suffering he would endure, 
what sy mpathy would be aroused for him, what efforts 
would be made for his relief, what laws would be passed 
and enforced to prevent and punish such inhumanity ! 

(131) 



132 APPENDIX. 

But the sufferings of the poor animal, whose services are 
so closely connected with the toils, the pleasures, even 
the development of our race, are seldom even thought of. 
Indeed, a majority of persons seem to think that a horse's 
foot is only a hard, horny mass, without capacity for 
pain or feeling, that may be hacked, pared, burned, nailed, 
and mutilated at will by any apprentice or other person 
who choses to claim ability enough to fasten a piece of 
iron to what he seems to consider as a mere piece of 
inanimate matter.. This is a great mistake. The 
horse's foot is a beautiful structure, highly organized, 
containing nerves, blood-vessels, delicate joints, and other 
organs and mechanism, whose arrangement, plan, and 
purpose should be, at least in part, known by the farrier, 
and he is not tit for his work if he does not know some- 
thing of this. And if he will not voluntarily study and 
learn this, he should be compelled to do so, or be forbidden 
to ply his pretended trade. A certain amount of pro- 
fessional training and knowledge should be made neces- 
sary, and compulsory, by the legislatures of every state 
in the Union; nay, by every law-making power of 
the world. Why should not schools for the training and 
education of farriers be established, and a diploma, or 
the certificate of some competent examining board, as 
evidence of a certain amount of knowledge of the sub- 
ject, be required, before a farrier should be allowed 
to practice on the living, innocent, helpless animal? 
And why is this not as necessary to prevent the 
needless destruction of and damage to property, as to 



APPENDIX. 133 

prevent cruelty to dumb animals ? How many horses 
are either temporarily injured, hopelessly ruined, or pre- 
maturely killed by the unskillfulness and carelessness 
complained of! In my opinion, most of the horses of 
this country do not live out over half their days of use- 
fulness on this account. 

But there are already some considerations that it 
would be well for all farriers, either pretended or real, to 
bear in miud. It is a well-recognized principle of law, 
that a person holding himself out to the world as a per- 
son of sufficient skill to do certain things, is liable for 
all damages resulting from his want of such skill as he 
has led those employing him to think he possesses. 
Thus, a man who holds himself out to the world as a 
surgeon, would be liable for all damages to a person who 
employs him ; for instance, to set a broken arm, if, from 
the want of reasonable skill as a surgeon, he should so 
set the broken limb that it should thereafter be crooked, 
or partly or wholly disabled, on account of such bad set- 
ting. So a blacksmith, who claims to be a farrier, would 
be liable to the owner of a horse which such smith should 
injure, lame, or ruin, by reason of his want of skill as a 
farrier. 1 

1 " The case of locatio operis faciendi, is where work and labor, or 
care and pains, are to be bestowed on the thing delivered, for a pe- 
cuniary recompense ; and the workman for hire must answer for 
ordinary neglect of the goods bailed (i. e , intrusted to the work 
man), and apply a degree of skill equal to his undertaking. Every men 
is presumed to possess the ordinary skill requisite to the due exercise of the 



134 APPENDIX. 

There is another reason that should make an unskill- 
ful farrier cautious about carelessly inflicting such tor- 
ture on a poor, helpless animal intrusted to his care. 

art or trade which he assumes. . . . If he performs the work unskill- 
fully, he becomes responsible in damages." 3 Kent's Commentaries, 588. 
" Where skill, as well as care, is required in performing the under - 
taking, then, if the party purports to have skill in the business, 
and he undertakes for hire, he is bound, not only to ordinary care 
and diligence in securing and preserving the thing, but also to the 
exercise of due and ordinary skill in the employment of his art or 
business about it; or, in other words, he undertakes to perform it 
in a workmanlike manner. In cases of this sort, he must be un- 
derstood to have engaged to use a degree of diligence, and atten- 
tion, and skill, adequate to the due performance of his undertak- 
ing. And if he has not the proper skill, or if, having it, he omits 
to use it, or if he omits, in other respects, the proper degree of dili- 
gence and attention required for the work, he will be responsible 
for the damages sustained thereby by his employer. . . . It is 
the party's own fault, if he undertakes without having sufficient 
skill, or if he employs less than the occasion requires. And it has 
been well observed that, where a person is employed in a work of 
skill, the employer buys both his labor and his judgment. He 
ought not to undertake the work if he can not succeed; and he 
should know whether he can or not. Thus, if a farrier undertakes 
the cure of a lame or diseased horse, he is bound to apply a reason- 
able degree of skill to the cure; and if, through his ignorance or 
bad management, the horse dies, he will be liable for the loss. So, 
if a ship carpenter undertakes to build a ship, he engages for the 
exercise of reasonable skill, as well as proper care, in building it; 
and he will be liable for any loss or injury sustained by his em- 
ployer by his negligence or want of skill- - . . Of course, this 
doctrine is subject to the exception that the undertaker is per- 



APPENDIX. 135 

The subject of cruelty to animals is one that is well 
worthy of, and is exciting, the attention of not only all 
persons who have any feeling, but also of state legisla- 

mitted to act on his own judgment; for, if his employer chooses to 
supersede the judgment of the undertaker, and requires his own 
to be followed, he must not only bear the loss, but pay the full 
compensation. . . . 

"The degree of skill and diligence which is required rises also in 
proportion to the value, the delicacy, and the difficulty of the op- 
eration. . . . 

"But, in all these cases where skill is required, it is to be under- 
stood that it means ordinary skill in the particular business or em- 
ployment which the (workman) undertakes, or in which he is en- 
gaged. For he is not presumed to engage for extraordinary skill, 
which may belong to a few men only in his business or employment, 
or for extraordinary personal endowments or acquirements. Sea- 
sonable skill constitutes the measure of the engagement of the 
workman, in regard to the thing undertaken. . . . 

" But even where the particular business or employment requires 
skill, if the (workman) is known not to possess it, or he does not 
exercise the particular art or employment to which it belongs, and 
he makes no pretense nor skill in it, then, if the (owner), with 
full notice, trusts him with the undertaking, the (workman) is 
bound only for a reasonable exercise of the skill which he pos- 
sesses, or of the judgment which he can employ ; and if any loss 
ensues from his want of due skill, he is not chargeable. Thus (to 
put the case borrowed from the Mahommedan law), if a person will 
knowingly employ a common mat-maker to weave or embroider a 
fine carpet, he must impute the bad workmanship to his own folly. 
So, if a man who has a disorder in his eyes, should employ a farrier 
to cure the disease, and he should lose his sight, using the reme- 
dies prescribed in such cases for horses, he would certainly have no 
legal ground of complaint." Story on Bailments, §§ 431-435. 



136 APPENDIX. 

tures and other law-making bodies. Why should the 
man who inflicts temporary pain to a horse, by the mo- 
mentary use of a whip, or in some such passing way, be 
punished, while he who inflicts lasting torture, by his 
criminal bungling, goes scot free? I believe that the 
laws for the prevention of cruelty to animals apply to 
these latter persons even more strongly than to the 
former. 1 

1 The following are the provisions of law, in the new Ohio Code 
of Laws, to go into effect January 1, 1880, relating to this subject 
of cruelty to animals : 

Section 3714. Oltio State Society. The Ohio state society for the 
prevention of cruelty to animals, heretofore incorporated, shall be 
and remain a body corporate, with all the powers, privileges, im- 
munities, and duties, throughout this state, hereinafter specified, as 
to county associations, and may appoint any person, in any county 
in this state where there is no such active association, to represent 
the state society, and to receive and account for all funds coming 
to the society, from fines or otherwise. 

Sec. 3715. Other societies authorized. Societies for the prevention 
of acts of cruelty to animals may be organized in any county, by 
the association of not less than seven persons, and the members 
thereof shall, at a meeting called for the purpose, elect not less 
than three of their members directors, who shall continue in office 
until their successors are duly chosen. 

Sec' 3716. How incorporated. The secretary or clerk of the meet- 
ing shall make a true record of the proceedings thereat, which he 
shall certify, and forward to the Secretary of State, who shall record 
the same; the record shall contain the name by which such asso- 
ciation shall have determined to be known, and from and after the 
filing of the same tho directors and associates, and their successors, 
shall be invested with the powers, privileges, and immunities inci- 



APPENDIX. 137 

dent to incorporated companies; and a copy of the record, duly 
certified by the Secretary of State, shall be deemed and taken, in 
all courts and places in this state, as evidence that such association 
is a duly organized and incorporated body. 

Sec. 3717. May elect officers and make regulations. Such associations 
may elect such officers, and make such rules, regulations, and by- 
laws, as may be deemed necessary or expedient by their members 
for their own government and the proper management of their 
affairs. 

Sec 3718. May appoint agents to enforce the law. Such associations 
may appoint agents for the purpose of prosecuting any person 
guilty of any act of cruelty to animals within this state, who shall 
have power to arrest any person found violating any of the 
provisions of this chapter, or any other law, for the purpose of 
protecting animals, or preventing any act of cruelty thereto ; and 
upon making such arrest, such agent shall convey the person so 
ai'rested before some court or magistrate having jurisdiction of the 
offense, within the city or county wherein the offense was com- 
mitted, and there forthwith make complaint, on oath or affirmation 
of the offense; but all appointments by such associations under 
this section must have the approval of the mayor of the city or vil- 
lage in which the association exists, and if it exists outside of any 
city or village, the appointments must be approved by the probate 
judge of the county ; and the mayor or probate judge shall keep a 
record of all such appointments. 

Sec. 3719. Magistrates may authorize certain inspections. When 
complaint is made, on oath or affirmation, to a magistrate or court 
authorized to issue warrants in criminal cases, that the complainant 
believes that any of the provisions of law relating to or affecting 
animals are being or about to be violated in any particular building 
or place, such magistrate or court shall issue or deliver immediately 
a warrant directed to any sheriff, constable, or police officer, or 
agent of such association, authorizing him to enter and search such 
building or place, and to arrest any person there present violating, 



138 APPENDIX. 

or attempting to violate, any such law, and to bring such person 
before some court or magistrate of competent jurisdiction within 
the city, village, or county within which such offense has been com- 
mitted, to be dealt with according to law; and such attempt shall 
be held to be a violation of such law, and shall subject the person 
charged therewith, if found guilty, to the penalties provided therein. 

Sec. 3720. Police powers of officers and agents. An officer, agent, or 
member of any such association may interfere to prevent the per- 
petration of any act of cruelty to animals in his presence, and may 
use such force as may be necessary to prevent the same, and to that 
end may summon to his aid any bystanders. 

Sec. 3721. Interpretation of certain words. In this chapter, and in 
every law of the state relating to or in any manner affecting animals, 
the word " animal " shall be held to include every living dumb crea- 
ture; the words ''torture," "torment," and "cruelty," shall be 
held to include every act, omission, or neglect, whereby unnecessary, 
or unjustifiable pain or suffering is caused, permitted, or allowed to 
continue, when there is a reasonable remedy or relief; and the 
words "owner" and "person" shall be held to include corpora" 
tions; and the knowledge and acts of agents employes of corpora- 
tions, in regard to animals transported, owned, employed by, or in 
the custody of a corporation, shall be held to be the act of such 
corporation. 

Sec. 3722. Officers may require ■policemen to act. Any such associ- 
ation may require the sheriff of any county, the constable of any 
township, the marshal or policeman of any city or village, or the 
agent of any such association, when the laws for the prevention of 
cruelty to animals have been violated, to take possession of any 
animal cruelly treated, in their respective counties, cities, or vil- 
lages, and deliver the same to the proper officers of such association ; 
and for such service, and for all services rendered in carrying out 
the provisions of this chapter, such officers, and the officers and 
agents of the association, shall be allowed and paid such fees as 
they arg allowed for like services in other cases, which shall be 



APPENDIX. 139 

In conclusion, I would urge upon all persons interested 
in that noblest of animals, the horse, to help awaken and 
develop a feeling and sentiment that will call for the es- 
tablishment of training-schools for instruction similar to 
those for surgical, medical, and pharmaceutical purposes. 
and to secure the passage of such laws as will prevent 
the ignorant and incompetent bunglers from either care- 
lessly or otherwise torturing and damaging horses, as 
has so frequently been done in the past. 

charged as costs, and reimbursed to the association by the person 
convicted. 

Sec. 3723. A person guilty is liable in damages. A person guilty of 
cruelty to an animal, the property of another, shall be liable to the 
owner thereof in damages, in addition to the penalties prescribed 
by law. 

Sec. 3724. Conviction of agent no bar to action against principal. The 
conviction of an agent or employe shall not bar an action for 
cruelty to animals against an employer for allowing a state of facts 
to exist which will induce cruelty to animals on th^ part of such 
agent or employer. 

Sec. 3725. Any person may care for animals unlaiofully impounded. 
When an animal is impounded, yarded, or confined, and continues 
without necessary food, water, or proper attention for more than 
fifteen successive hours, any person may, from time to time, and as 
often as it may be necessary, enter into and upon any place in 
which such animal is so impounded, yarded, or confined, and supply 
it with necessary food, water, and attention, so long as it there re- 
mains, or, may, if necessary or convenient, remove such animal, and 
shall not be liable to an action for such entry ; and the reasonable 
cost of such food, water, and attention may be collected by him of 
the owner of such animal, and the animal shall not be exempt from 
levy and sale upon execution issued upon a judgment therefor- 



SYNOPTICAL INDEX. 



Anatomy 17 

Arteries and veins 29 

Ankle-joints, defective 89 

Ankle, shin, and knee cut- 
ting ICO 

Action of horses, balancing 

the 108 

Bars or binders 20 

Burning and clipping 48 

Crust or wall, the 17 

Coronary band, the 17 

Coffin bone 23 

Coronary bone 23 

Cartilages 27 

Coronary substance or cush- 
ion 24 

Contraction 60 

Canker 74 

Curb 93 

Corns 81 

Clicking or forging 97 

Cutting, elbow and arm 102 

Cutting, speedy 99 

Cutting, ankle, shin, and 

knee 100 

Cartilage, ossified 66 

Distortion 63 

Diseases 54 

Draught horse 46 

Defective ankle-joints 89 



Flexor tendon, soreness of.. 95 

Frog, insensitive 20 

Frog, sensitive 26 

Foot, angle of the 33 

Foot, leveling the 38 

Frog pressure 42 

Founder and laminitis 55 

Effects of. 60-62 

Foot, internal 22 

Gaiting young horses 107 

Hoof, the 17 

Laminae, insensitive 18 

Laminae, sensitive 31 

Ligaments 27 

Mule, the 115 

Nerves 30 

Navicular bone 23 

Navicular disease 83 

Pacing horse, the 51 

Quarter cracks 

Racking horse, the 49 

Running horses 52 

Raised coronet 87 

(141) 



142 



SYNOPTICAL INDEX. 



Sole, horny, the 19 

Sole, sensitive 26 

Scratches 74 

Split toe 75 

Sprung or weak knees 91 

Spavin 94 

Speedy cutting 99 

Soreness of the flexor ten- 
don 95 

Shoeing 33 



Shoe, applying the 40 

Shoe, width and weight of 

the 41 

Shoes for specific purposes.. 117 

Thrush 72 

Track and road horses 51 

Wall or crust, the 17 



